South Dakota's at-large congressional district

Coordinates: 44°30′N 100°00′W / 44.5°N 100°W / 44.5; -100
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

South Dakota's at-large congressional district
Representative
  Dusty Johnson
RMitchell
Area75,885 sq mi (196,540 km2)
Distribution
  • 55.8% urban
  • 44.2% rural
Population (2022)909,824[1]
Median household
income
$69,728[1]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+16[2]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district is the sole congressional district for the state of South Dakota. Based on area, it is the fourth largest congressional district in the nation.

The district is currently represented by Dusty Johnson.

History[edit]

The district was created when South Dakota achieved statehood on November 2, 1889, electing two members at-large (statewide). Following the 1910 United States census a third seat was gained, with the legislature drawing three separate districts. The third district was eliminated after the 1930 census. As a result of the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census, the second seat was eliminated, creating a single at-large district. Since 1983, South Dakota has retained a single congressional district.

Voter registration[edit]

Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 8, 2022
Party Total voters Percentage
Democratic 151,415 25.34%
Republican 296,463 49.65%
Libertarian 2,801 0.01%
IND/NPA 145,004 24.29%
Total 597,069 100%

Statewide election results[edit]

Year Office Results
2000 President Bush 60 - Gore 38%
2004 President Bush 60 - Kerry 38%
2008 President McCain 53 - Obama 45%
2012 President Romney 58 - Obama 40%
2016 President Trump 62 - Clinton 32%
2020 President Trump 62 - Biden 36%

Election history[edit]

2004 special[edit]

Incumbent U.S. Representative Bill Janklow resigned the seat on January 20, 2004, after he was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, triggering a special election. Democrat Stephanie Herseth was selected as the Democratic nominee for this special election and she defeated Republican Larry Diedrich with 51 percent of the vote in a close-fought election on June 1, 2004. Herseth's victory briefly gave the state its first all-Democratic congressional delegation since 1937.

2004 general[edit]

In the November general election, Herseth was elected to a full term with 53.4 percent of the vote, an increase of a few percentage points compared with the even closer June special elections. Herseth's vote margin in June was about 3,000 votes, but by November it had grown to over 29,000.

Herseth thereby became the first woman in state history to win a full term in the U.S. Congress.

Both elections were hard-fought and close compared to many House races in the rest of the United States, and the special election was watched closely by a national audience. The general election was also viewed as one of the most competitive in the country, but was overshadowed in the state by the highly competitive U.S. Senate race between Democrat Tom Daschle and Republican John Thune, which Thune narrowly won.

2006[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (Incumbent) 230,468 69.09 +15.73
Republican Bruce Whalen 97,864 29.34 −16.57
Libertarian Larry Rudebusch 5,230 1.57 +0.85
Democratic hold Swing
Turnout 333,562

2008[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (Incumbent) 256,041 67.56 −1.53
Republican Chris Lien 122,966 32.44 +3.10
Democratic hold Swing
Turnout 379,007

2010[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kristi Noem 153,703 48.12 +15.68
Democratic Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (Incumbent) 146,589 45.89 −21.67
Independent B. Thomas Marking 19,134 5.99 +5.99
Republican gain from Democratic Swing
Turnout 319,426

2012[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kristi Noem (Incumbent) 207,640 57.45 +9.33
Democratic Matt Varilek 153,789 42.55 −3.34
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 361,429

2014[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kristi Noem (Incumbent) 183,834 66.50 +9.05
Democratic Corinna Robinson 92,485 33.50 −9.05
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 276,319

2016[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Kristi Noem (Incumbent) 237,163 64.10 -2.4
Democratic Paula Hawks 132,810 35.90 +2.4
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 369,973

2018[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dusty Johnson 202,446 60.30 -3.8
Democratic Tim Bjorkman 120,816 36.00 +0.1
Republican hold Swing
Turnout 323,262

2020[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2020[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dusty Johnson (incumbent) 321,984 80.96% +20.61
Libertarian Randy Luallin 75,748 19.04% +17.58
Total votes 397,732 100.0%
Republican hold

2022[edit]

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2022[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Dusty Johnson (incumbent) 253,821 77.42% –3.54
Libertarian Collin Duprel 74,020 22.58% +3.54
Total votes 327,841 100.00%
Republican hold

List of members representing the district[edit]

1889–1913: two seats[edit]

Two seats were created in 1889.

Years Cong
ress
Seat A Seat B
Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history
November 2, 1889 –
March 3, 1891
51st
John Pickler
(Faulkton)
Republican Elected in 1889.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Retired.

Oscar S. Gifford
(Canton)
Republican Elected in 1889.
Lost renomination.
March 4, 1891 –
August 14, 1891
52nd
John Rankin Gamble
(Yankton)
Republican Elected in 1890.
Died.
August 14, 1891 –
December 7, 1891
Vacant
December 7, 1891 –
March 3, 1893

John L. Jolley
(Vermillion)
Republican Elected to finish Gamble's term.
Retired.
March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1895
53rd
William V. Lucas
(Hot Springs)
Republican Elected in 1892.
Lost renomination.
March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1897
54th
Robert J. Gamble
(Yankton)
Republican Elected in 1894.
Lost re-election.
March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1899
55th
John Edward Kelley
(Flandreau)
Populist Elected in 1896.
Lost re-election.

Freeman Knowles
(Deadwood)
Populist Elected in 1896.
Lost re-election.
March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1901
56th
Charles H. Burke
(Pierre)
Republican Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Lost renomination.

Robert J. Gamble
(Yankton)
Republican Elected in 1898.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
March 4, 1901 –
March 3, 1907
57th
58th
59th

Eben Martin
(Deadwood)
Republican Elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
March 4, 1907 –
June 26, 1908
60th
Philo Hall
(Brookings)
Republican Elected in 1906.
Lost renomination.

William H. Parker

(Deadwood)

Republican Elected in 1906.
Died.
June 26, 1908 –
November 3, 1908
Vacant
November 3, 1908 –
March 3, 1909

Eben Martin
(Deadwood)
Republican Elected to finish Parker's term.
Also elected to next full term.
Re-elected in 1910.
Redistricted to the 3rd district.
March 4, 1909 –
March 3, 1913
61st
62nd

Charles H. Burke
(Pierre)
Republican Elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Redistricted to the 2nd district.

In 1913, the two at-large seats were replaced by three districts. There were no at-large seats, therefore, until 1983.

1983–present: one seat[edit]

By 1983, the remaining two district seats were reduced to one at-large seat.

Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history

Tom Daschle
(Aberdeen)
Democratic January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1987
97th
98th
99th
Redistricted from the 1st district.
and re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

Tim Johnson
(Vermillion)
Democratic January 3, 1987 –
January 3, 1997
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
Elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

John Thune
(Pierre)
Republican January 3, 1997 –
January 3, 2003
105th
106th
107th
Elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

Bill Janklow
(Brandon)
Republican January 3, 2003 –
January 20, 2004
108th Elected in 2002.
Resigned when convicted of vehicular manslaughter.
Vacant January 20, 2004 –
June 3, 2004

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
(Brookings)
Democratic June 3, 2004 –
January 3, 2011
108th
109th
110th
111th
Elected to finish Janklow's term.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Lost re-election.

Kristi Noem
(Castlewood)
Republican January 3, 2011 –
January 3, 2019
112th
113th
114th
115th
Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Retired to run for Governor of South Dakota.

Dusty Johnson
(Mitchell)
Republican January 3, 2019 –
present
116th
117th
118th
Elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "My Congressional District: Congressional District (at Large) (118th Congress), South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". The Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  3. ^ "General Election - November 3, 2020" (PDF). Secretary of State of South Dakota. November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  4. ^ "South Dakota U.S. House Election Results 2022". NBC News. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.

External links[edit]

44°30′N 100°00′W / 44.5°N 100°W / 44.5; -100