akashic
1876–2024
Elections / 1896 · President · SD

William Jennings Bryan carried South Dakota D+0.2.

William Jennings Bryan (D) vs William McKinley (R) in South Dakota, 1896. The state ran 6.2 points more Democratic than the nation (R+6.1 nationally).

Nominees: William Jennings Bryan (D) · William McKinley (R)

South Dakota result
82,590 votes counted
Bryan (D)
41,021
49.7%
McKinley (R)
40,892
49.5%
All others
677
0.8%
Margin
D+0.2
1896 presidential election
South Dakota, 1896
1896 presidential margin by county for South Dakota — 1896 presidential electionA map of the constituent counties of South Dakota — 1896 presidential election, each outlined and filled by its 1896 presidential margin from deep red (Republican) through neutral to deep blue (Democratic), seated within the faint outlines of the surrounding states.Aurora County, SD · D+10.5Beadle County, SD · R+1.1Bon Homme County, SD · R+13.1Brookings County, SD · D+1.0Brown County, SD · D+7.1Brule County, SD · D+20.4Buffalo County, SD · D+7.5Butte County, SD · D+12.5Campbell County, SD · R+9.7Charles Mix County, SD · R+8.0Clark County, SD · D+7.8Clay County, SD · R+7.6Codington County, SD · R+15.5Custer County, SD · D+9.1Davison County, SD · D+8.6Day County, SD · D+2.4Deuel County, SD · R+2.2Douglas County, SD · R+16.7Edmunds County, SD · D+15.7Fall River County, SD · D+2.3Faulk County, SD · R+28.8Grant County, SD · R+6.5Gregory County, SD · D+2.7Hamlin County, SD · R+11.2Hand County, SD · D+11.3Hanson County, SD · D+22.0Hughes County, SD · R+17.0Hutchinson County, SD · R+50.7Hyde County, SD · R+29.5Jerauld County, SD · D+10.1Kingsbury County, SD · D+5.0Lake County, SD · D+7.2Lawrence County, SD · D+13.5Lincoln County, SD · R+4.2Lyman County, SD · R+19.7Marshall County, SD · D+11.2McCook County, SD · D+21.2McPherson County, SD · R+17.2Meade County, SD · D+17.8Miner County, SD · D+9.5Minnehaha County, SD · D+4.6Moody County, SD · D+12.9Pennington County, SD · D+16.8Potter County, SD · D+7.8Roberts County, SD · R+17.4Sanborn County, SD · R+2.9Spink County, SD · R+3.2Stanley County, SD · D+22.1Sully County, SD · R+13.8Turner County, SD · R+25.7Union County, SD · D+6.9Walworth County, SD · D+6.7Yankton County, SD · R+3.4
How it voted
Share of the 1896 vote
William J. Bryan ✓Democratic49.7%41,021
William McKinleyRepublican49.5%40,892
OtherAll other candidates0.8%677
D+60
R+60
53 counties, each filled by 1896 D-vs-R margin. Hover any county for its result.
South Dakota's presidential margins
1892–2024, the 1896 contest in context
South Dakota's presidential marginsDemocratic-minus-Republican presidential margin from 1892 to 2024. Most recent: −29.2% in 2024.flipped R · 2004−29.2%DR18922024
South Dakota's presidential margins
YearMargin (D minus R)
1892−36.5%
1896+0.2%
1900−15.6%
1904−49.4%
1908−23.8%
1912+42.1%
1916+3.9%
1920−41.0%
1924−36.3%
1928−21.0%
1932+29.2%
1936+11.5%
1940−14.8%
1944−16.7%
1948−4.8%
1952−38.5%
1956−16.8%
1960−16.4%
1964+11.2%
1968−11.3%
1972−8.6%
1976−1.5%
1980−28.8%
1984−26.5%
1988−6.3%
1992−3.5%
1996−3.5%
2000+22.7%
2004−21.3%
2008−8.4%
2012−18.0%
2016−29.8%
2020−26.2%
2024−29.2%
County results — 1896
53 counties; every row links to the county's full page.
CountyWonMarginDemocraticRepublicanTotal
Aurora CountyD
+10.5%
479387878
Beadle CountyR
−1.1%
9159351,874
Bon Homme CountyR
−13.1%
8931,1632,063
Brookings CountyD
+1.0%
1,2881,2632,593
Brown CountyD
+7.1%
1,8671,6183,506
Brule CountyD
+20.4%
6684411,114
Buffalo CountyD
+7.5%
7968147
Butte CountyD
+12.5%
286222510
Campbell CountyR
−9.7%
369449822
Charles Mix CountyR
−8.0%
5946981,303
Clark CountyD
+7.8%
8166951,544
Clay CountyR
−7.6%
1,0611,2382,320
Codington CountyR
−15.5%
7591,0411,823
Custer CountyD
+9.1%
515429947
Davison CountyD
+8.6%
7336161,365
Day CountyD
+2.4%
1,2301,1712,436
Deuel CountyR
−2.2%
6686981,370
Douglas CountyR
−16.7%
380533918
Edmunds CountyD
+15.7%
510371888
Fall River CountyD
+2.3%
5555301,089
Faulk CountyR
−28.8%
237430671
Grant CountyR
−6.5%
9021,0291,952
Gregory CountyD
+2.7%
116110226
Hamlin CountyR
−11.2%
5597021,274
Hand CountyD
+11.3%
5674511,026
Hanson CountyD
+22.0%
6584201,084
Hughes CountyR
−17.0%
327462794
Hutchinson CountyR
−50.7%
4581,4131,885
Hyde CountyR
−29.5%
121223346
Jerauld CountyD
+10.1%
336274616
Kingsbury CountyD
+5.0%
1,0519502,029
Lake CountyD
+7.2%
9998641,874
Lawrence CountyD
+13.5%
2,9052,2105,150
Lincoln CountyR
−4.2%
1,3931,5162,923
Lyman CountyR
−19.7%
121181304
Marshall CountyD
+11.2%
6945531,263
McCook CountyD
+21.2%
1,0476781,737
McPherson CountyR
−17.2%
361512879
Meade CountyD
+17.8%
8075621,373
Miner CountyD
+9.5%
7055821,292
Minnehaha CountyD
+4.6%
2,6672,4295,146
Moody CountyD
+12.9%
1,0127801,799
Pennington CountyD
+16.8%
1,0387391,785
Potter CountyD
+7.8%
390333728
Roberts CountyR
−17.4%
9291,3242,275
Sanborn CountyR
−2.9%
5005301,045
Spink CountyR
−3.2%
1,0611,1322,206
Stanley CountyD
+22.1%
14089231
Sully CountyR
−13.8%
198262465
Turner CountyR
−25.7%
9501,6162,587
Union CountyD
+6.9%
1,4911,2972,805
Walworth CountyD
+6.7%
286250541
Yankton CountyR
−3.4%
1,3301,4232,769