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Tuesday, Nov 10, 2026

Did South Dakota voters shift further right in 2026 federal races?

Molly Wetsch, South Dakota News Watch
no

While remaining solidly Republican, South Dakota shifted slightly to the left in the 2026 general election compared to 2024.

State voters were one percentage point more blue, according to a New York Times analysis. By gender, men shifted three percentage points while there was no change in women. The biggest shift was in the 18-29 demographic, which voted 25 points more Democratic.

By the numbers, Democratic U.S. House of Representatives candidate Sheryl Johnson received 28% of the vote in 2024, while Democratic U.S. House of Representatives candidate Nikki Gronli received 36% of the vote in 2026. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris received 34% of the vote in 2024.

Another federal race saw a smaller margin of Republican victory but did not include a Democratic candidate. The U.S. Senate race between Independent Brian Bengs and Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican, saw 61% vote for Rounds and 39% vote for Bengs.

Update on Nov. 10, 2026: This fact brief was updated to clarify and better respond to the claim about South Dakota voters’ political shifts in 2026.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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