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2026 midtermsResults

2026 results · South Dakota · South Dakota Governor

Larry Rhoden, the Republican, holds South Dakota's governorship for the Republicans

Donald Trump carried South Dakota by 29.2 points in 2024; this year's count is a 2.2-point move toward the Democrats.

South Dakota Governor: votes counted for each candidate
CandidateVotesShareShare of the vote
Larry RhodenRepublican193,33463.5%
Dan AhlersDemocrat111,16136.5%

Called by Call the Map, Nov 4, 8:24 AM EST · 87% counted.

About 87% of the expected vote counted304,495 votesCount last changed Nov 7, 5:11 PM ESTSource: South Dakota Secretary of State

The map

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What moved most

Scroll through South Dakota, part by part. The parts follow the federal government’s metropolitan areas: each big metro’s core counties, its suburbs and outer suburbs, the smaller metro areas, then the small towns and countryside.

What the count shows

Added together, the 66 counties compared moved 2.2 points toward the Democrats from the 2024 presidential vote.

The counties compared cast 71% as many votes as in 2024, from 80% in Grant County to 55% in Hanson County. Where turnout ran higher, the county moved more toward the Republicans (r = −0.24).

Moody County moved most: R+31.9 for president in 2024, R+20.9 this year

The 10 counties with the largest moves from the 2024 presidential vote, among those with 2,000 or more votes for president in 2024 and a quarter of that counted, and at least half a percent of the state's 2024 vote. Each line runs from the 2024 margin to this year’s.

CountyR+50EvenD+50Move
Moody County2,474 votes11.0 pts → D
Minnehaha County66,466 votes7.5 pts → D
Hughes County6,519 votes7.5 pts → R
Union County5,814 votes6.7 pts → D
McCook County2,173 votes5.5 pts → D
Roberts County2,972 votes4.8 pts → D
Spink County2,271 votes4.7 pts → R
Lincoln County26,310 votes4.7 pts → D
Codington County9,896 votes3.9 pts → D
Clay County4,088 votes3.5 pts → D

2024 president 2026

Minnehaha County added 8,495 net votes for Ahlers against the 2024 margin, 20% of the statewide change

Across the 66 counties compared, the margin moved by 43,049 votes toward Ahlers: this year’s lead in votes against the 2024 presidential lead in votes, county by county. The figure counts voters who changed sides and differences in who turned out alike; the count cannot tell them apart.

  1. Minnehaha County+8,495 Ahlers
  2. Pennington County+5,452 Ahlers
  3. Lincoln County+3,914 Ahlers
  4. Meade County+2,426 Ahlers
  5. Codington County+1,857 Ahlers
  6. Union County+1,638 Ahlers
  7. Lawrence County+1,425 Ahlers
  8. Davison County+1,264 Ahlers

What the places that moved have in common

Each of South Dakota’s counties, set against the Census Bureau’s figures for who lives there. A pattern across counties, not an exit poll: it does not say how any group of people voted.

Urban, suburban and rural counties

Suburban2 counties, 30% of the vote6.7 pts → D
Rural64 counties, 70% of the vote0.2 pts → D

2024 president 2026 · Urban: 1,000 or more residents per square mile; suburban: 100 to 999; rural: under 100 (our grouping).

Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 and 2023 Gazetteer; a county joins once its count is substantially in.

U.S. HouseBefore the election R 1–0, now R 1–0

  1. R+28.0Jackley

won leads, still counting changed party. Margins are the leader’s share minus the runner-up’s, in points.

Every count on this page is the official count published by the South Dakota Secretary of State. Counts are unofficial until the state certifies them. The 2024 comparison is the presidential vote, Kamala Harris against Donald Trump, on the same ground. Margins are the Democrat minus the Republican, in points of all votes.