The Green Papers: South Dakota 2008 General Election
This page is for offices up for election in 2008. Find 2009 elections here.
 
Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/ South Dakota
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
Primary: Tuesday 3 June 2008
Secondary Election: Tuesday 17 June 2008
General Election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Electoral Votes:3(0.56% of 538)
Governor:1 
Senators:2(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2002-2010 Representatives:1(0.23% of 435)
2000 Census:756,874 (0.27% of 281,998,273)
Estimated Voting age population (November 2000):543,000
Registered Voters (November 2000):471,152
Capital:Pierre
Tuesday 3 June 2008 polling hours 7:00a CDT (1200 UTC) / 7:00a MDT (1300 UTC) to 7:00p CDT (0000 UTC) / 7:00p MDT (0100 UTC).
Tuesday 17 June 2008 polling hours 7:00a CDT (1200 UTC) / 7:00a MDT (1300 UTC) to 7:00p CDT (0000 UTC) / 7:00p MDT (0100 UTC).
Tuesday 4 November 2008 polling hours 7:00a CST (1300 UTC) / 7:00a MST (1400 UTC) to 7:00p CST (0100 UTC) / 7:00p MST (0200 UTC).
 

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South Dakota State and Local Government

South Dakota 2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions:
Democrats, Republicans, Third Parties


26 January 2009: South Dakota Secretary of State - 2008 General State Canvass - Official Returns


18 September 2008: Synchronized with South Dakota Secretary of State - 2008 Candidate List.


3 June 2008 primary returns from an official source.


If no candidate for United States Senate, U.S. House of Representatives or Governor receives 35% of the vote in the Tuesday 3 June primary, a secondary election, between the two highest vote getters, shall be held two weeks from the date of the primary election, Tuesday 17 June 2008.

 
           

President  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2008, 2012. Term Limit: No more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime. Electors: 3 (Winner-take-all), How Appointed, Meeting Place, Duly Appointed Presidential Electors, List of Presidential Candidates.
Up for election in 2008
  Elected Republican 203,054 53.16% Senator John Sidney McCain, III
(3 Electoral Votes)
Vice President: Governor Sarah H. Palin

FEC P80002801: $399,826,076
  Candidate Democratic 170,924 44.75% Senator Barack Hussein Obama
Vice President: Senator Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr.

FEC P80003338: $778,642,047
  Candidate Independent 4,267 1.12% Ralph Nader
Vice President: Matt Gonzalez

FEC P20000527: $4,520,160
  Candidate Constitution 1,895 0.50% Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin
Vice President: Darrell L. Castle

FEC P80005499: $262,010
  Candidate Independent; (Libertarian) 1,835 0.48% former Congressman Bob Barr
Vice President: Wayne Allyn Root

FEC P80005580: $1,405,899
Total 381,975 100.00%  

U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 110th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes

Class 2
Seat up for election
Democratic Senator Tim Johnson
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1996; re-elected: 2002; re-elected: 2008
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 3 June 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Senator Tim Johnson
  Elected Democratic 237,889 62.49% Senator Tim Johnson
FEC S6SD00051: $4,928,182
  Candidate Republican 142,784 37.51% state Representative Joel Dean Dykstra
FEC S8SD00107: $906,630
Total 380,673 100.00%  

Class 3 Republican Senator John Thune
First elected: 2004.
(also served in U.S. House- first elected: 1996; re-elected: 1998, 2000. Unsuccessful candidate for Senate 2002.)
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors

  Republican Governor Mike Rounds
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006
Chair up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010
The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election.
Open Chair - At term limit

Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010. Elected on a ticket with the Governor. No separate primaries for Gov and Lt Gov.

  Republican Lieutenant Governor Dennis M. Daugaard
First elected: 2002; re-elected 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

110th U.S. House of Representatives  2 year term, Election Cycle 2006, 2008. No Term Limit. 110th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
1 Democratic (1 Renominated)

At-Large
{map}
Seat up for election
Democratic Congressman Stephanie M. Herseth Sandlin
• Re-elected Tuesday 4 November 2008
First elected: 1 June 2004 in a Special Election to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Congressman William Janklow. Re-elected: 2004
Seat up for election: Tuesday 4 November 2008
Renominated - 3 June 2008 Primary
 Polls: Democratic Congressman Stephanie M. Herseth Sandlin
  Elected Democratic 256,041 67.56% Congressman Stephanie M. Herseth Sandlin
FEC H2SD00092: $1,456,448
  Candidate Republican 122,966 32.44% Christian Bruce "Chris" Lien
FEC H8SD00016: $606,801
Total 379,007 100.00%  

Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010

  Republican Secretary of State Chris Nelson
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010

  Republican Attorney General Larry Long
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

Treasurer  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010

  Republican Treasurer Vern L. Larson
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

Auditor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010

  Republican Auditor Rich Sattgast
First elected: 2002; re-elected: 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

Commissioner of School and Public Lands  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2006, 2010

  Republican School and Public Lands Commissioner Jarrod Johnson
First elected: 2006
Seat up for election: Tuesday 2 November 2010

Political Parties    Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
  Democratic (affiliates): 2 incumbents, 3 candidates
  Republican: 8 incumbents, 3 candidates
Major Third Parties
  Libertarian: 1 candidate
Other Third Parties
  Constitution (affiliates): 1 candidate
Independents
  Independent: 2 candidates
 
Candidates running under the banner of more than one party are counted towards each party's total. A candidate who has lost a primary or is apparently no longer a candidate is not counted.

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from an election authority that the person so listed will actually appear on the ballot.
 
FEC indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary "Total Receipts" for candidates for Federal Office.

 


  2008 General Election Home  
 
  U.S. Senate Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Gubernatorial Popular Vote by Party  
  U.S. House Popular Vote and FEC Total Receipts by Party  
  Close Contests Summary - Decision by 2% or less  
  Contests Where No Candidate Received a Majority  
 
Electoral College
  Allocation       How Appointed       Meeting Place (15 December)  
  Duly Appointed Electors       Tabulation by Congress (8 January 2009)  
  THE "FAITHLESS ELECTORS" - Presidential Electors who have defected in the past  
  May Electors Defect?  
  DATES OF U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION "EVENTS": 1789 to the present  
  "APPARENT" ELECTORAL VOTE for President of the United States: 1856 to present  
  ELECTORAL VOTE for President of the United States (as pledged and as officially counted)  
  ELECTORAL VOTE for Vice President of the United States (as pledged and as officially counted)  
 
  Contests to Watch and Polling Data  
 
2008 Primaries and Runoffs for Statewide offices/Congress
  Alphabetically   --   Chronologically   --   Poll Closing Times  
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General Election Poll Closing Times
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  President (Details)     Governors     Senate     House  
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  Senators by 'Class'  
  Governors by election 'cycle'  
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  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance   --   Senatorial Primaries at a Glance  
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  Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats (the incumbent is not running for re-election)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with no incumbent running for them  
  Uncontested Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats (one candidate running for office)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with multiple incumbents running for them  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
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  2008 Partisan Composition by State  
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  Political Parties  
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  Senate Electoral Classes  
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  1976-2004 Presidential Election State Voting Trends  
  Relative Political Party Strength in each State per Federal/State Elections  
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  Explanation of the Debate Scoring System