South Dakota
Latest: 2024
Safe Republican — voted Republican in every presidential election since 1968
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 79.8% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(15) | 4.8% |
▶Black / African American(11) | 2.3% |
▶Asian(6) | 1.4% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(8) | 0.2% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(9) | 7.5% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.2% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Evangelical Protestant | 19.8% | 36.5% |
| Mainline Protestant | 17.5% | 32.4% |
| Catholic | 14.6% | 27.1% |
| Other | 1.8% | 3.4% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Orthodox Christian | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Non-religious | 45.9% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Trump+30.3 |
| 2020 | Trump+26.2 |
| 2016 | Trump+29.8 |
| 2012 | Romney+18.0 |
| 2008 | McCain+8.4 |
| 2004 | Bush+21.5 |
| 2000 | Bush+22.7 |
| 1996 | Dole+3.4 |
| 1992 | Bush+3.4 |
South Dakota has a population of 907,428. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Republican with a margin of R+30.3. Akashic Edge tracks 34 presidential elections here, dating back to 1892.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 33.7% | 64.0% | R+30.3 | R+4.1 |
| 2020 | 35.6% | 61.8% | R+26.2 | D+3.6 |
| 2016 | 31.7% | 61.5% | R+29.8 | R+11.8 |
| 2012 | 39.9% | 57.9% | R+18.0 | R+9.6 |
| 2008 | 44.7% | 53.2% | R+8.4 | D+13.1 |
| 2004 | 38.4% | 59.9% | R+21.5 | D+1.3 |
| 2000 | 37.6% | 60.3% | R+22.7 | R+19.3 |
| 1996 | 42.6% | 46.0% | R+3.4 | 0.0 |
| 1992 | 36.2% | 39.6% | R+3.4 | D+2.9 |
| 1988 | 46.5% | 52.8% | R+6.3 | D+20.1 |
| 1984 | 36.5% | 63.0% | R+26.5 | D+2.4 |
| 1980 | 31.7% | 60.5% | R+28.8 | R+27.4 |
| 1976 | 48.9% | 50.4% | R+1.5 | D+7.2 |
| 1972 | 45.5% | 54.1% | R+8.6 | D+2.7 |
| 1968 | 42.0% | 53.3% | R+11.3 | R+22.5 |
| 1964 | 55.6% | 44.4% | D+11.2 | D+27.7 |
| 1960 | 41.8% | 58.2% | R+16.4 | D+0.3 |
| 1956 | 41.6% | 58.4% | R+16.8 | D+21.8 |
| 1952 | 30.7% | 69.3% | R+38.5 | R+33.7 |
| 1948 | 47.0% | 51.8% | R+4.8 | — |
What defines South Dakota?
It has a moderately diverse, middle-class electorate where education levels and suburban growth shape the partisan balance.
County-Level Results
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Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Republican in the last 5 presidential elections
- Latest election (2024) was a Republican landslide with a 30.3% margin
- Highly elastic — margins have ranged 21.9 points across recent elections, suggesting a volatile electorate