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 was 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, becoming the first U.S. senator from South Dakota to be elected to a fourth term since Karl Mundt in 1966, and only the second to do so after Mundt.

Republican primary On December 23, 2020, then-President Donald Trump said Thune would face a primary challenger after Thune refused to support a challenge of the 2020 Electoral College results, tweeting: "Republicans in the Senate so quickly forget. Right now they would be down 8 seats without my backing them in the last Election. RINO John Thune, 'Mitch's boy', should just let it play out. South Dakota doesn't like weakness. He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!" South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem stated she would not challenge Thune for the seat. On January 1, 2021, Trump tweeted that Noem should challenge Thune in a primary, despite Noem previously saying she would not do so, instead running for re-election as Governor in 2022.

Candidates Nominee John Thune, incumbent U.S. Senator (2005–present) and Senate Minority Whip (2021–2025)

Eliminated in primary Mark Mowry, musician and rancher Bruce Buffalo Dreamer Whalen, Oglala Sioux tribal administrator, former chair of the Oglala Lakota County Republican Party, and nominee for in 2006

Withdrew Patrick Schubert, software executive

Declined Marty Jackley, former South Dakota Attorney General (2009–2019) and candidate for governor of South Dakota in 2018 (ran for Attorney General) Dusty Johnson, U.S. Representative from (2019–present) (ran for re-election) Kristi Noem, Governor of South Dakota (2019–2025) and former U.S. Representative for (2011–2019) (ran for re-election)

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error MarkMowry JohnThune BruceWhalen UndecidedSouth Dakota State UniversityMay 2–15, 2022– (LV)± 3.0%4%46%10%41%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DustyJohnson KristiNoem JohnThune UndecidedFabrizio Lee (R)January 2022400 (LV)± 4.9%30%–47%23%–49%40%10%

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Brian Bengs, U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran, and former Northern State University political science professor

Declined Troy Heinert, Minority Leader of the South Dakota Senate (2019–2023) from the 26th district (2015–2023) Brendan Johnson, former U.S. Attorney for South Dakota (2009–2015) and son of former U.S. Senator Tim Johnson Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, president of Augustana University (2017–present) and former U.S. Representative for (2004–2011) Billie Sutton, former Minority Leader of the South Dakota Senate (2015–2019) from the 21st district (2011–2019) and nominee for governor in 2018

Libertarian convention Candidates Nominee Tamara Lesnar, small business owner

General election Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 19, 2021 Inside Elections January 7, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 3, 2021PoliticoApril 1, 2022RCPJanuary 10, 2022Fox News May 12, 2022DDHQJuly 20, 2022538June 30, 2022The EconomistSeptember 7, 2022

Post-primary endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JohnThune (R) BrianBengs (D) TamaraLesnar (L) UndecidedSouth Dakota State UniversitySouth Dakota State UniversitySeptember 28 – October 10, 2022565 (RV)± 4.0%53%28%–20%Lake Research Partners (D)Lake Research Partners (D)September 6–11, 2022400 (LV)± 4.9%46%33%8%11%Moore Information Group (R)Moore Information Group (R)March 14–19, 2022400 (LV)± 5.0%59%24%6%11%

Results

By county CountyJohn ThuneRepublicanBrian BengsDemocraticTamara LesnarLibertarianMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Aurora97880.56%17014.00%665.44%80866.56%1,214Beadle4,44176.08%1,21420.80%1823.12%3,22755.29%5,837Bennett68467.06%29528.92%414.02%38938.14%1,020Bon Homme2,01078.70%45317.74%913.56%1,55760.96%2,554Brookings7,99064.69%3,81630.90%5454.41%4,17433.79%12,351Brown9,57768.80%3,89327.96%4513.24%5,68440.83%13,921Brule1,57374.98%42820.40%974.62%1,14554.58%2,098Buffalo17344.36%20251.79%153.85%-29-7.44%390Butte3,26978.62%59714.36%2927.02%2,67264.26%4,158Campbell57186.12%669.95%263.92%50576.17%663Charles Mix2,32375.20%66621.56%1003.24%1,65753.64%3,089Clark1,30782.05%23014.44%563.52%1,07767.61%1,593Clay2,52253.51%2,04243.33%1493.16%48010.18%4,713Codington8,27975.24%2,26520.58%4604.18%6,01454.65%11,004Corson53457.73%33436.11%576.16%20021.62%925Custer3,75674.52%1,01720.18%2675.30%2,73954.35%5,040Davison5,42075.17%1,52421.14%2663.69%3,89654.04%7,210Day1,79671.44%60223.95%1164.61%1,19447.49%2,514Deuel1,54877.95%34617.42%924.63%1,20260.52%1,986Dewey77049.36%72046.15%704.49%503.21%1,560Douglas1,30889.16%1177.98%422.86%1,19181.19%1,467Edmunds1,38582.10%25315.00%492.90%1,13267.10%1,687Fall River2,75475.64%66518.26%2226.10%2,08957.37%3,641Faulk78082.37%12012.67%474.96%66069.69%947Grant2,49277.92%60118.79%1053.28%1,89159.13%3,198Gregory1,66382.16%27913.78%824.05%1,38468.38%2,024Haakon86489.07%565.77%505.15%80883.30%970Hamlin2,21481.91%36613.54%1234.55%1,84868.37%2,703Hand1,24282.25%19813.11%704.64%1,04469.14%1,510Hanson1,32381.22%25415.59%523.19%1,06965.62%1,629Harding60590.57%223.29%416.14%56484.43%668Hughes5,46773.37%1,68322.59%3014.04%3,78450.79%7,451Hutchinson2,61983.35%41713.27%1063.37%2,20270.08%3,142Hyde48483.45%7813.45%183.10%40670.00%580Jackson61768.63%21523.92%677.45%40244.72%899Jerauld67678.24%15417.82%343.94%52260.42%864Jones38382.37%469.89%367.74%33772.47%465Kingsbury2,00079.05%44117.43%893.52%1,55961.62%2,530Lake3,61573.51%1,13923.16%1643.33%2,47650.35%4,918Lawrence8,43969.48%3,06125.20%6465.32%5,37844.28%12,146Lincoln19,70370.42%7,36526.32%9123.26%12,33844.10%27,980Lyman94472.67%29022.32%655.00%65450.35%1,299Marshall1,27267.70%54529.00%623.30%72738.69%1,879McCook2,03380.26%40816.11%923.63%1,62564.15%2,533McPherson95486.57%1089.80%403.63%84676.77%1,102Meade8,93475.90%2,13418.13%7025.96%6,80057.77%11,770Mellette41566.51%16526.44%447.05%25040.06%624Miner81380.98%16116.04%302.99%65264.94%1,004Minnehaha46,55162.78%24,77233.41%2,8213.80%21,77929.37%74,144Moody1,83969.61%69426.27%1094.13%1,14543.34%2,642Oglala Lakota42217.30%1,88977.42%1295.29%-1,467-60.12%2,440Pennington30,39867.32%12,44127.55%2,3145.12%17,95739.77%45,153Perkins1,14183.35%1339.72%956.94%1,00873.63%1,369Potter93785.73%12311.25%333.02%81474.47%1,093Roberts2,38467.52%1,00028.32%1474.16%1,38439.20%3,531Sanborn82181.94%15415.37%272.69%66766.57%1,002Spink2,02776.09%54620.50%913.42%1,48155.59%2,664Stanley1,13878.65%24516.93%644.42%89361.71%1,447Sully62279.44%11414.56%476.00%50864.88%783Todd50226.27%1,30868.45%1015.29%-806-42.18%1,911Tripp1,86183.19%26311.76%1135.05%1,59871.43%2,237Turner3,07879.99%60215.64%1684.37%2,47664.35%3,848Union4,99174.30%1,49722.29%2293.41%3,49452.02%6,717Walworth1,64580.72%30114.77%924.51%1,34465.95%2,038Yankton6,05168.35%2,46227.81%3403.84%3,58940.54%8,853Ziebach38957.37%24235.69%476.93%14721.68%678Totals242,31669.63%91,00726.15%14,6974.22%151,30943.48%348,020

See also 2022 United States Senate elections 2022 South Dakota elections

Notes

Partisan clients

References

External links Official campaign websites (archived) Brian Bengs (D) for Senate John Thune (R) for Senate