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 County results Rounds: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% Contents
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| Elections in South Dakota |
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The 2002 South Dakota gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2002 to elect a Governor of South Dakota. Republican nominee Mike Rounds was elected, defeating Democratic nominee Jim Abbott.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Abbott | 46,794 | 68.78 | |
| Democratic | Ron J. Volesky | 11,481 | 16.87 | |
| Democratic | Jim Hutmacher | 8,847 | 13.00 | |
| Democratic | Robert Hockett | 915 | 1.34 | |
| Total votes | 68,037 | 100.00 | ||
Rounds' victory was one of South Dakota's greatest political upsets.[ citation needed ] Until late in 2001, then-Congressman John Thune was the front-runner for the nomination. When Thune passed on the race in order to challenge Senator Tim Johnson, state Attorney General Mark Barnett and former Lieutenant Governor Steve T. Kirby quickly became candidates. Rounds declared his candidacy late, in December 2001 and was out-raised and outspent ten-to-one by each of his opponents.[ citation needed ]
However, the contest between Kirby and Barnett soon became very negative and "dirty". Barnett attacked Kirby for not investing in companies based in South Dakota and for his involvement with Collagenesis, a company which removed skin from donated human cadavers and processed them for use. It became the subject of a massive scandal when it was revealed that the company was using the skins for much more lucrative cosmetic surgery like lip and penis enhancements while burn victims "lie waiting in hospitals as nurses scour the country for skin to cover their wounds, even though skin is in plentiful supply for plastic surgeons". [2] Kirby invested in the company after the scandal broke and Barnett attacked him for it in television advertisements. [3] However, the advertisements backfired because "the claims were so outlandish, that people thought for sure that they were exaggerated or completely fabricated." [4]
As the two front-runners concentrated on attacking each other, Rounds insisted on running a positive campaign and was not attacked by his opponents. Rounds' positive image and extensive knowledge of state government won him many supporters who were alienated by the front-runners. On the day of the primary election, Rounds won a stunning victory, with 44.3% of the vote to Barnett's 29.5% and Kirby's 26.1%.[ citation needed ]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Rounds | 49,331 | 44.34 | |
| Republican | Mark Barnett | 32,868 | 29.54 | |
| Republican | Steve T. Kirby | 29,065 | 26.12 | |
| Total votes | 111,264 | 100.00 | ||
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report [6] | Lean R | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball [7] | Likely R | November 4, 2002 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Rounds | 189,920 | 56.77% | -7.27% | |
| Democratic | Jim Abbott | 140,263 | 41.92% | +9.07% | |
| Independent | James P. Carlson | 2,393 | 0.72% | ||
| Libertarian | Nathan A. Barton | 1,983 | 0.59% | -1.10% | |
| Majority | 49,657 | 14.84% | -16.35% | ||
| Turnout | 334,559 | ||||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
Marion Michael Rounds is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Dakota since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 to 2011.
Ellis James Abdnor was an American politician who served as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota. He was also the 15th Administrator of the Small Business Administration under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
John Randolph Thune is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Dakota, a seat he has held since 2005. Thune is in his fourth Senate term and is the Senate minority whip, a post he has held since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Thune served three terms as the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 1997 to 2003.
Steven Thomas Kirby was the 35th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota. He is a member of local, state, and national boards of directors.
James W. Abbott is an American retired politician and academic, most recently serving as the president of the University of South Dakota from 1997 to 2018. Abbott was the Democratic nominee in the 2002 South Dakotan gubernatorial election. Abbott is a distinguished alumni of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
Mitch Krebs was the co-anchor of the 6:00pm and 10:00pm news at KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota until February 1, 2007. He is married to former South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs (R).
Shantel Swedlund Krebs is an American businesswoman and former South Dakota Secretary of State. She previously served in the South Dakota House of Representatives and South Dakota Senate.
The 2008 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 4, 2008. Primary elections were held on June 3, 2008. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson won re-election to a third term. As of 2023, this election, along with the simultaneous House race, is the last time a Democrat won a statewide election in South Dakota.
The structure of the government of South Dakota is based on that of the federal government, with three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The structure of the state government is laid out in the Constitution of South Dakota, the highest law in the state. The constitution may be amended either by a majority vote of both houses of the legislature, or by voter initiative.
The South Dakota Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in South Dakota. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling South Dakota's at-large U.S. House seat, both U.S. Senate seats, the governorship, and has supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature.
The 2002 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson narrowly won re-election to a second term by a margin of 524 votes, or 0.15%. This made the election the closest race of the 2002 Senate election cycle.
The 2010 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 2, 2010 along other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Thune won re-election to a second term unopposed.
The 2014 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of South Dakota, concurrently with the election of the Governor of South Dakota, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
The 2016 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of South Dakota, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held June 7.
The 2018 South Dakota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of South Dakota. Incumbent Republican governor Dennis Daugaard was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota was held on November 6, to elect the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with other statewide, legislative, and local elections.
The 2022 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of South Dakota. Incumbent three-term Republican U.S. Senator John Thune, who is the Senate Minority Whip, was first elected in 2004, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Daschle, the then-Senate Minority Leader. He ran for reelection to a fourth term. The Democratic nominee was 26-year Navy, Air Force JAG Corps Veteran, and former college professor Brian Bengs. Thune was ultimately reelected.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of South Dakota on November 6, 2018. All of South Dakota's executive officers were up for election as well as South Dakota's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives.
Dustin Michael Johnson is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner from 2005 to 2011, when he was appointed chief of staff to Governor Dennis Daugaard, a position he held until 2014. Between his state political career and congressional service, Johnson was the vice president of Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell, South Dakota.
South Dakota state elections in 2022 were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Primary elections were held on June 7, 2022.
