United States Presidential election7 Nov 2028in 729 days Senate D 97% House D 58% Calendar Track record Research
PollingForecast.com United States
Closest results
United States · Election results history · 1978 governors · South Dakota
Election 1978 Results

Each election opens in its own mode: the forecast before the votes are counted, the live count while races are still too close to call, and the results once every race is decided.

1978 South Dakota governor election

William J. Janklow (Republican) beat Roger McKellips (Democrat) in South Dakota in 1978, 56.6% to 43.4%, a margin of 13.3 points and 34,437 votes.

South Dakota changed party: in 1974 it went Democratic, for Richard F. Kneip.

Republicans led in 58 of the 66 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 8. The largest, Minnehaha, cast 36,196 votes and went to the Republican by 8.8 points. The closest was Ziebach, where 1 vote separated the two parties.

United States
Results
2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 1899 1898 1897 1896 1895 1894 1893 1892 1891 1890 1889 1888 1887 1886 1885 1884 1883 1882 1881 1880 1879 1878 1877 1876 1875 1874 1873 1872 1871 1870 1869 1868 1867 1866 1865
If only voted How this works
If the polls miss like

Early projection, based on early and incomplete polling: the likely matchups, each weighted by the betting markets' odds of both nominations, not a result. Each county is its 2024 presidential margin moved by its state's projected swing; set a national vote and every state, district and county moves by the same amount from our projection. Colours run in 100 steps from a safe Republican to a safe Democratic margin. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

Governor

CandidatePartyVotesShare
William J. Janklow won Republican 147,116 56.6%
Roger McKellips Democratic 112,679 43.4%
Total259,795

Every county

CountyDemocratRepublicanOthersTotalMargin
Minnehaha 16,512 45.6% 19,684 54.4% 36,196 R+8.8
Pennington 8,021 42.2% 10,997 57.8% 19,018 R+15.6
Brown 5,987 43.0% 7,943 57.0% 13,930 R+14.0
Brookings 3,572 44.1% 4,529 55.9% 8,101 R+11.8
Beadle 3,287 41.6% 4,621 58.4% 7,908 R+16.9
Codington 2,574 35.3% 4,721 64.7% 7,295 R+29.4
Yankton 3,116 45.4% 3,754 54.6% 6,870 R+9.3
Davison 3,059 48.6% 3,239 51.4% 6,298 R+2.9
Lawrence 2,407 38.8% 3,804 61.2% 6,211 R+22.5
Hughes 2,337 38.7% 3,706 61.3% 6,043 R+22.7
Lincoln 3,095 56.9% 2,347 43.1% 5,442 D+13.7
Meade 1,822 35.7% 3,275 64.3% 5,097 R+28.5
Lake 2,304 48.1% 2,484 51.9% 4,788 R+3.8
Union 3,382 72.7% 1,271 27.3% 4,653 D+45.4
Clay 2,868 63.6% 1,641 36.4% 4,509 D+27.2
Hutchinson 1,390 33.2% 2,798 66.8% 4,188 R+33.6
Turner 1,761 43.0% 2,332 57.0% 4,093 R+14.0
Roberts 1,637 40.2% 2,437 59.8% 4,074 R+19.6
Charles Mix 1,718 42.8% 2,292 57.2% 4,010 R+14.3
Spink 1,742 44.0% 2,218 56.0% 3,960 R+12.0
Day 1,796 46.1% 2,096 53.9% 3,892 R+7.7
Grant 1,444 38.1% 2,345 61.9% 3,789 R+23.8
Tripp 1,486 42.9% 1,981 57.1% 3,467 R+14.3
Bon Homme 1,553 46.5% 1,784 53.5% 3,337 R+6.9
Kingsbury 1,195 37.5% 1,989 62.5% 3,184 R+24.9
McCook 1,383 43.6% 1,786 56.4% 3,169 R+12.7
Gregory 1,696 53.9% 1,451 46.1% 3,147 D+7.8
Moody 1,206 38.3% 1,940 61.7% 3,146 R+23.3
Butte 1,152 37.3% 1,936 62.7% 3,088 R+25.4
Walworth 795 26.4% 2,218 73.6% 3,013 R+47.2
Fall River 961 31.9% 2,051 68.1% 3,012 R+36.2
Hand 960 36.0% 1,708 64.0% 2,668 R+28.0
Hamlin 946 35.7% 1,701 64.3% 2,647 R+28.5
Clark 860 32.5% 1,783 67.5% 2,643 R+34.9
Edmunds 1,061 40.3% 1,571 59.7% 2,632 R+19.4
Marshall 1,019 38.7% 1,612 61.3% 2,631 R+22.5
Brule 1,127 46.2% 1,313 53.8% 2,440 R+7.6
Perkins 873 35.8% 1,563 64.2% 2,436 R+28.3
Todd 1,819 74.9% 609 25.1% 2,428 D+49.8
Custer 964 42.1% 1,327 57.9% 2,291 R+15.8
Deuel 936 40.9% 1,355 59.1% 2,291 R+18.3
Douglas 585 28.8% 1,448 71.2% 2,033 R+42.4
McPherson 450 23.0% 1,506 77.0% 1,956 R+54.0
Shannon 1,683 86.8% 256 13.2% 1,939 D+73.6
Aurora 901 46.9% 1,022 53.1% 1,923 R+6.3
Miner 915 48.2% 983 51.8% 1,898 R+3.6
Potter 612 32.6% 1,264 67.4% 1,876 R+34.8
Dewey 971 53.0% 862 47.0% 1,833 D+5.9
Sanborn 771 42.8% 1,032 57.2% 1,803 R+14.5
Faulk 733 41.6% 1,027 58.4% 1,760 R+16.7
Lyman 716 42.2% 981 57.8% 1,697 R+15.6
Corson 707 43.2% 928 56.8% 1,635 R+13.5
Jerauld 609 38.4% 978 61.6% 1,587 R+23.3
Hanson 749 47.6% 824 52.4% 1,573 R+4.8
Jackson 534 37.5% 889 62.5% 1,423 R+24.9
Haakon 292 25.0% 876 75.0% 1,168 R+50.0
Hyde 368 32.0% 783 68.0% 1,151 R+36.1
Bennett 455 39.8% 687 60.2% 1,142 R+20.3
Campbell 237 21.2% 883 78.8% 1,120 R+57.7
Stanley 417 37.9% 684 62.1% 1,101 R+24.3
Mellette 450 45.9% 531 54.1% 981 R+8.3
Sully 281 30.4% 643 69.6% 924 R+39.2
Ziebach 459 49.9% 460 50.1% 919 R+0.1
Harding 305 33.7% 599 66.3% 904 R+32.5
Jones 272 33.5% 541 66.5% 813 R+33.1
Buffalo 384 63.9% 217 36.1% 601 D+27.8

Counties as they stood in 1978; some have since been split, merged or renamed. Margin: the Democrat's share of all votes minus the Republican's. Sources and how the results were checked.

South Dakota governor elections we hold

YearWinnerMargin
2022 Kristi Noem (R) R+26.8
2018 Kristi Noem (R) R+3.4
2014 Dennis Daugaard (R) R+45.0
2010 Dennis Daugaard (R) R+23.0
2006 Mike Rounds (R) R+25.6
2002 Mike Rounds (R) R+14.8
1998 William J. Janklow (R) R+31.2
1994 William J. Janklow (R) R+14.8
1990 George S. Mickelson (R) R+17.8
1986 George S. Mickelson (R) R+3.6
1982 William J. Janklow (R) R+41.7
1978 William J. Janklow (R) R+13.3
1974 Richard F. Kneip (D) D+7.2
1972 Richard F. Kneip (D) D+20.1
1970 Richard F. Kneip (D) D+9.7
1968 Frank Farrar (R) R+15.3
1966 Nils Boe (R) R+15.4
1964 Nils A. Boe (R) R+3.3
1962 Archie M. Gubbrud (R) R+12.2
1960 Archie M. Gubbrud (R) R+1.5
1958 Ralph Herseth (D) D+2.8
1956 Joe Foss (R) R+8.8
1954 Joe Foss (R) R+13.3
1952 Sigurd Anderson (R) R+40.3
1950 Sigurd Anderson (R) R+21.8
1948 George T. Mickelson (R) R+22.2
1946 George T. Mickelson (R) R+34.3
1944 Merrell Q. Sharpe (R) R+31.0
1942 Merrell Q. Sharpe (R) R+23.0
1940 Harlan J. Bushfield (R) R+10.3
1938 Harlan J. Bushfield (R) R+7.9
1936 Leslie Jensen (R) R+3.2
1934 Tom Berry (D) D+17.9
1932 Tom Berry (D) D+13.2
1930 Warren E. Green (R) R+6.7
1928 William J. Bulow (D) D+5.5
1926 William J. Bulow (D) D+7.1
1924 Carl Gunderson (R) R+31.0
1922 William H. McMaster (R) R+16.3
1920 William H. McMaster (R) R+39.0
1918 Peter Norbeck (R) R+34.6
1916 Peter Norbeck (R) R+17.3
1914 Frank M. Byrne (R) R+14.9
1912 Frank M. Byrne (R) R+2.8
1910 Robert S. Vessey (R) R+22.5
1908 Robert S. Vessey (R) R+15.9
1906 Coe I. Crawford (R) R+38.6
1904 Samuel H. Elrod (R) R+43.6
1902 Charles N. Herreid (R) R+36.0
1900 Charles N. Herreid (R) R+14.4
1898 Andrew E. Lee (other)
1896 Andrew E. Lee (other)
1894 Charles H. Sheldon (R) R+41.2
1892 Charles H. Sheldon (R) R+26.9
1890 Arthur C. Mellette (R) R+20.6
1889 Arthur C. Mellette (R) R+38.7