Nov 3, 2026 · primaries held June 2
South Dakota - United States Senate
⭐ Sen. Mike Rounds seeks a third term in a state where Republicans haven't lost a Senate race since 2008.
MR
Mike Rounds
Republican - Age: 71 · Incumbent
Former two-term governor seeking a third term in the Senate.
Ballotpedia profile →JB
Julian Beaudion
Democrat
Former state trooper and small-business owner from Sioux Falls.
Ballotpedia profile →BB
Brian Bengs
Independent
Navy and Air Force veteran; 2022 Democratic nominee, now running independent.
Ballotpedia profile →
Who's ahead?
CookSOLID RSabatoSAFE RDDHQSAFE R
Ratings: Cook Political Report (Aug 20), Sabato’s Crystal Ball (Aug 26), Decision Desk HQ (Aug 5). Source →
Public polling of the three-way general election is sparse, and no independent head-to-head survey has been released since the primary. Handicappers, including the Cook Political Report, rate the race Solid Republican — Rounds won his last race by 32 points.
Cook Political Report Senate ratings →
As of July 2026
Where they stand
Tap a topic that's important to you.
ROUNDS SAYS
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BEAUDION SAYS
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BENGS SAYS
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Money & campaign finance
Where each candidate stands on campaign-finance questions.
ROUNDS
BEAUDION
BENGS
Ban Congress from trading stocks
Unclear
Yes
Unknown
Takes corporate PAC money
Yes
Unclear
Unknown
Fundraising
RAISEDCASH ON HANDUNDER-$200 DONORS
Mike Rounds
$3.2M$2.7M1% of receipts
Julian Beaudion
$228K$3K28% of receipts
Brian Bengs
$782K$51K61% of receipts
Campaign committee totals for the 2025–26 cycle, through June 30, 2026. Under-$200 share is unitemized individual contributions divided by total receipts. FEC filings →
Their big promises
ROUNDS' TOP 3
Deliver for defense
Keep the B-21 bomber mission and jobs growing at Ellsworth AFB.
Stand with agriculture
Fight for farm bill programs, ethanol, and new export markets.
Seniority that pays
Says his committee posts give South Dakota outsized clout.
BEAUDION'S TOP 3
Lower everyday costs
Take on grocery, housing, and childcare costs squeezing families.
Public safety with trust
A former trooper's approach to safer communities, including tribal lands.
Show up everywhere
Campaign in all 66 counties, not just the reliably blue ones.
BENGS' TOP 3
Country over party
A 20-year military officer answering to voters, not party leaders.
Clean up Washington
No PAC money, ban congressional stock trading, end dark money.
Fair deal for farmers
Take on meatpacker consolidation that squeezes ranchers.
Agree or differ?
B-21 bomber buildout at Ellsworth AFB
All three back the bomber mission transforming the Rapid City economy
Continued U.S. military aid to Ukraine
Rounds has voted for aid packages · Beaudion and Bengs also support standing with Ukraine
Trump's tariffs
Rounds: give the strategy time to work · Beaudion & Bengs: they're crushing soybean and cattle producers
Congressional term limits
Bengs: supports them · Beaudion: open to them · Rounds: seeking his third six-year term
Reform the Senate filibuster
Rounds: keep the 60-vote rule · Beaudion: open to reform · Bengs: reform for key bills
Their stories
MIKE ROUNDS
1954Born in Huron; built an insurance and real estate business in Pierre.
2003Governor of South Dakota for two terms after a surprise primary win.
2014Elected to the Senate; reelected by 32 points in 2020.
2026Passed on the governor's race to seek a third Senate term.
JULIAN BEAUDION
CareerSouth Dakota Highway Patrol trooper turned business owner and advocate.
2020Co-founded a community group focused on policing and racial equity in Sioux Falls.
Apr 2025Announced his Senate run — the first Democrat in the race.
Jun 2026Nominated unopposed as the Democratic candidate.
BRIAN BENGS
Career20 years in the Navy and Air Force, then taught political science at Northern State.
2022Democratic nominee against Sen. John Thune.
2026Left the party to run as an independent, arguing partisan labels doom challengers here.
NowPetitioned onto the November ballot as an independent.
Positions summarized from campaign websites, voting records, and news reports · July 2026
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