United States · Election results history · 1938 Senate · South Dakota

Election 1938 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.

1938 US Senate election in South Dakota

Chandler Gurney (Republican) beat Tom Berry (Democrat) in South Dakota in 1938, 52.5% to 47.5%, a margin of 4.9 points and 13,749 votes.

Gladys Pyle (Republican) beat John T. McCullen (Democrat) in South Dakota in 1938, 58.1% to 41.9%, a margin of 16.1 points and 43,115 votes. (This was a special election.)

The Republican hold continued from 1932, when Peter Norbeck won.

Republicans led in 38 of the 68 counties as they stood then and Democrats in 30. The largest, Minnehaha, cast 21,420 votes and went to the Republican by 8.2 points. The closest was Union, where 2 votes separated the two parties.

United States

Results

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If only voted How this works

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Or set the national mood Turnout

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.

Senate

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Chandler Gurney won	Republican	146,813	52.5%
Tom Berry	Democratic	133,064	47.5%
Total		279,877

Special election

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Gladys Pyle won	Republican	155,292	58.1%
John T. McCullen	Democratic	112,177	41.9%
Total		267,469

Every county

County	Democrat	Republican	Total	Margin
Minnehaha	9,836 45.9%	11,584 54.1%	21,420	R+8.2
Brown	7,033 56.2%	5,473 43.8%	12,506	D+12.5
Pennington	4,536 46.0%	5,331 54.0%	9,867	R+8.1
Lawrence	2,130 25.3%	6,278 74.7%	8,408	R+49.3
Beadle	4,672 56.7%	3,571 43.3%	8,243	D+13.4
Davison	4,096 57.6%	3,011 42.4%	7,107	D+15.3
Codington	3,417 48.1%	3,684 51.9%	7,101	R+3.8
Yankton	2,935 41.6%	4,112 58.4%	7,047	R+16.7
Charles Mix	3,842 58.5%	2,724 41.5%	6,566	D+17.0
Brookings	2,664 40.9%	3,853 59.1%	6,517	R+18.2
Roberts	3,324 52.4%	3,020 47.6%	6,344	D+4.8
Day	3,328 54.3%	2,802 45.7%	6,130	D+8.6
Turner	2,435 41.5%	3,431 58.5%	5,866	R+17.0
Lake	2,315 41.5%	3,263 58.5%	5,578	R+17.0
Spink	3,029 54.8%	2,498 45.2%	5,527	D+9.6
Bon Homme	2,584 47.6%	2,848 52.4%	5,432	R+4.9
Lincoln	2,171 40.4%	3,202 59.6%	5,373	R+19.2
Hutchinson	2,115 39.4%	3,257 60.6%	5,372	R+21.3
McCook	2,260 46.9%	2,561 53.1%	4,821	R+6.2
Kingsbury	1,725 37.0%	2,931 63.0%	4,656	R+25.9
Union	2,311 50.0%	2,309 50.0%	4,620	level
Gregory	2,180 49.2%	2,252 50.8%	4,432	R+1.6
Meade	1,977 45.3%	2,386 54.7%	4,363	R+9.4
Tripp	2,196 51.0%	2,113 49.0%	4,309	D+1.9
Grant	1,972 46.1%	2,306 53.9%	4,278	R+7.8
Clay	2,220 52.1%	2,037 47.9%	4,257	D+4.3
Clark	1,683 41.6%	2,363 58.4%	4,046	R+16.8
Edmunds	1,909 50.1%	1,900 49.9%	3,809	D+0.2
Moody	1,669 44.1%	2,113 55.9%	3,782	R+11.7
Marshall	1,983 52.8%	1,776 47.2%	3,759	D+5.5
McPherson	1,256 35.6%	2,273 64.4%	3,529	R+28.8
Hamlin	1,430 41.1%	2,052 58.9%	3,482	R+17.9
Hand	1,814 52.6%	1,633 47.4%	3,447	D+5.3
Fall River	1,376 40.9%	1,986 59.1%	3,362	R+18.1
Walworth	1,812 54.0%	1,545 46.0%	3,357	D+8.0
Miner	1,778 53.1%	1,569 46.9%	3,347	D+6.2
Hughes	1,535 47.0%	1,729 53.0%	3,264	R+5.9
Deuel	1,274 39.7%	1,939 60.3%	3,213	R+20.7
Brule	1,936 61.4%	1,216 38.6%	3,152	D+22.8
Sanborn	1,586 51.0%	1,526 49.0%	3,112	D+1.9
Butte	1,229 39.6%	1,874 60.4%	3,103	R+20.8
Perkins	1,613 53.0%	1,428 47.0%	3,041	D+6.1
Corson	1,479 48.9%	1,544 51.1%	3,023	R+2.2
Douglas	1,366 46.5%	1,569 53.5%	2,935	R+6.9
Custer	1,211 44.0%	1,542 56.0%	2,753	R+12.0
Aurora	1,521 57.1%	1,144 42.9%	2,665	D+14.1
Hanson	1,360 51.2%	1,295 48.8%	2,655	D+2.4
Faulk	1,401 53.4%	1,223 46.6%	2,624	D+6.8
Jerauld	1,271 51.6%	1,191 48.4%	2,462	D+3.2
Lyman	1,185 48.6%	1,253 51.4%	2,438	R+2.8
Dewey	1,187 49.6%	1,207 50.4%	2,394	R+0.8
Potter	1,143 50.1%	1,137 49.9%	2,280	D+0.3
Campbell	565 27.5%	1,493 72.5%	2,058	R+45.1
Todd	1,134 55.7%	902 44.3%	2,036	D+11.4
Mellette	1,000 52.4%	910 47.6%	1,910	D+4.7
Haakon	768 40.7%	1,117 59.3%	1,885	R+18.5
Bennett	925 53.7%	797 46.3%	1,722	D+7.4
Hyde	782 46.6%	896 53.4%	1,678	R+6.8
Harding	679 46.0%	797 54.0%	1,476	R+8.0
Shannon	802 54.4%	673 45.6%	1,475	D+8.7
Ziebach	738 53.7%	636 46.3%	1,374	D+7.4
Jones	596 44.1%	754 55.9%	1,350	R+11.7
Sully	579 44.2%	732 55.8%	1,311	R+11.7
Stanley	621 48.7%	655 51.3%	1,276	R+2.7
Jackson	508 46.3%	589 53.7%	1,097	R+7.4
Buffalo	454 52.3%	414 47.7%	868	D+4.6
Washabaugh (Ext)	325 49.8%	327 50.2%	652	R+0.3
Washington (Ext)	278 52.0%	257 48.0%	535	D+3.9

Counties as they stood in 1938; 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 Senate elections we hold

Year	Winner	Margin
2022	John R Thune (R)	R+43.5
2020	Mike Rounds (R)	R+31.5
2016	John R. Thune (R)	R+43.7
2014	Mike Rounds (R)	R+20.9
2010	John Thune (R)	R+100.0
2008	Tim Johnson (D)	D+25.0
2004	John Thune (R)	R+1.2
2002	Tim Johnson (D)	D+0.2
1998	Tom Daschle (D)	D+25.7
1996	Tim Johnson (D)	D+2.6
1992	Thomas A. Daschle (D)	D+32.4
1990	Larry Pressler (R)	R+7.3
1986	Thomas A. Daschle (D)	D+3.2
1984	Larry Pressler (R)	R+49.0
1980	James Abdnor (R)	R+18.8
1978	Larry Pressler (R)	R+33.7
1974	George McGovern (D)	D+6.1
1972	James Abourezk (D)	D+14.1
1968	George McGovern (D)	D+13.6
1966	Karl E. Mundt (R)	R+32.6
1962	George McGovern (D)	D+0.2
1960	Karl E. Mundt (R)	R+4.9
1956	Francis Case (R)	R+1.6
1954	Karl E. Mundt (R)	R+14.6
1950	Francis Case (R)	R+27.8
1948	Karl E. Mundt (R)	R+18.7
1944	Chandler Gurney (R)	R+27.7
1942	Harlan J. Bushfield (R)	R+17.5
1938	Chandler Gurney (R)	R+4.9
1936	William J. Bulow (D)	D+2.1
1932	Peter Norbeck (R)	R+9.3
1930	William J. Bulow (D)	D+3.3
1926	Peter Norbeck (R)	R+26.2
1924	William H. McMaster (R)	R+13.3
1920	Peter Norbeck (R)	R+30.1
1918	Thomas Sterling (R)	R+16.1
1914	Edwin S. Johnson (D)	D+3.5