South Dakota's at-large congressional district

History

The district was created when South Dakota achieved statehood on November 2, 1889, as one of two for the new state. Following the 1910 United States census South Dakota gained a third seat. The third district was eliminated after the 1930 census. During the redistricting cycle after the 1980 census, the second seat was eliminated, leaving the single at-large district that the state has had since.

Voter registration

Statewide election results

Election history

2004 special

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

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

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

title=South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2024}}

List of members representing the district

1889–1913: two seats

Two seats were created in 1889.

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

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

References

• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

References

1. "My Congressional District: Congressional District (at Large) (118th Congress), South Dakota".
2. "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)".
3. (November 10, 2020). "General Election - November 3, 2020". [[Secretary of State of South Dakota]].
4. (November 8, 2022). "South Dakota U.S. House Election Results 2022". [[NBC News]].
5. "Unofficial Results General Election November 5, 2024".