Why It Matters
South Dakota’s Democratic Party will leave its U.S. Senate race without an official nominee, ceding the field to an independent candidate and Republican Senator Mike Rounds as the general election approaches. The decision reflects constraints on candidate recruitment and internal party divisions over strategy.
What Happened
Julian Beaudion withdrew from the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination on Tuesday, citing a house fire, personal financial hardship, and threatening communications as reasons for his exit. The South Dakota Democratic Party announced it will not field a replacement candidate before the filing deadline next week.
Brian Bengs, a former Democrat now running as an independent, will remain on the ballot. Bengs served as the party’s Senate nominee in 2022 against then-Senator John Thune. The state Democratic Party will not endorse Bengs despite some within the party believing he has a stronger chance of defeating Rounds.
By the Numbers
26% — vote share Bengs received in his 2022 Senate race
Zoom Out
Incumbent senators in solid partisan states frequently run unopposed by the opposing party’s official nominee, leaving independent or third-party candidates as the nominal challenge. South Dakota remains a reliably Republican state in federal elections, making recruitment of competitive Democratic candidates difficult.
What’s Next
Bengs will compete as an independent against Rounds in November. The absence of a Democratic nominee effectively clears the ballot for Rounds’ reelection in a state where Republicans hold both Senate seats and the governor’s office. Bengs addressed claims of campaign intimidation, stating that “nobody has been attacked or threatened.”