HarrisDemocratic20.9%2,417TrumpRepublican77.4%8,966OtherAll other candidates1.8%204
R+56.5- Lead
- 6,549
- Total
- 11,587
- vs nation
- R+55.0
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
Akashicstate senate district
South Dakota 21st State Senate District
Office (updates table and map)
President margin by year
Place winner margin
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
The precinct map shows the 2024 presidential vote; the timeline scrubs the district’s overall result across 1892–2024, on its current boundaries.
President results by year
Modeled candidate-vote estimate on current district boundaries
BidenDemocratic22.4%2,660TrumpRepublican76.0%9,004OtherAll other candidates1.6%185
R+53.5- Lead
- 6,344
- Total
- 11,849
- vs nation
- R+58.0
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ClintonDemocratic21.0%2,342TrumpRepublican74.9%8,363OtherAll other candidates4.1%461
R+53.9- Lead
- 6,021
- Total
- 11,166
- vs nation
- R+56.0
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ObamaDemocratic31.7%3,707RomneyRepublican66.5%7,780OtherAll other candidates1.8%209
R+34.8- Lead
- 4,073
- Total
- 11,696
- vs nation
- R+38.7
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ObamaDemocratic37.1%4,571McCainRepublican60.7%7,478OtherAll other candidates2.2%266
R+23.6- Lead
- 2,907
- Total
- 12,315
- vs nation
- R+30.9
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
KerryDemocratic34.8%4,953BushRepublican63.7%9,076OtherAll other candidates1.6%221
R+28.9- Lead
- 4,123
- Total
- 14,250
- vs nation
- R+26.5
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
GoreDemocratic31.5%3,693BushRepublican66.2%7,759OtherAll other candidates2.3%271
R+34.7- Lead
- 4,066
- Total
- 11,723
- vs nation
- R+35.2
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ClintonDemocratic39.0%5,112DoleRepublican49.8%6,518OtherAll other candidates11.2%1,466
R+10.7- Lead
- 1,406
- Total
- 13,096
- vs nation
- R+19.3
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+56.5MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 24,5732024 5-year
- Population density
- 5.1 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 4,865 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $65,7192024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 75.6%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.2%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 2.5%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+49.1 in 1932MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+56.5 in 2024MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- State Senate District 23, SD · twin score 96.7
presidential history
Party record book
South Dakota 21st State Senate District · the strongest Democratic and Republican presidential performances recorded here, measured three ways.
1892–2024 · 20 presidential cycles
Highest vote share
Largest share of the presidential candidate vote cast here.
Democratic
Woodrow Wilson1916
50.9%
5,984 votes · D+4.0 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · William J. Bryan, 1896 · 47.2%
Republican
Donald Trump2024
77.4%
8,966 votes · R+56.5 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · 76.0%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
Michael Dukakis1988
6,244votes
43.8% of the vote · R+11.9 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Woodrow Wilson, 1916 · 5,984 votes
Republican
Ronald Reagan1980
10,666votes
65.4% of the vote · R+36.1 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1984 · 9,662 votes
Best relative to the U.S.
This Place’s margin against the national margin in the same election — positive when it leaned toward the party more than the country did.
Democratic
Woodrow Wilson1912
+26.5pts D vs U.S.
Place D+46.0 · U.S. D+19.5 · a third-party candidate carried the Place · modeled estimate
Runner-up · William J. Bryan, 1900 · +3.3 pts
Republican
Donald Trump2020
+58.0pts R vs U.S.
Place R+53.5 · U.S. D+4.5 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2016 · +56.0 pts
current representation
Current officeholders
RMyKala VoitaState Senate · 21
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
U.S. House elections · 2 House
Senate and governor results are in the Office selector at the top of this page.
U.S. House
Each row is a county-allocated estimate of U.S. House votes for this district — county returns apportioned onto its boundary, not precinct-counted. “Vote lead” is the estimated local lead here, not necessarily the winner of the full contest.
| Year | Vote lead | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | R | 18.7%2,215 | 81.3%9,650 | 11,865 |
| 2020 | R | 0.0%0 | 100.0%7,832 | 7,832 |
South Dakota 21st State Senate District sits in the Northern Plains. In 2024 it voted Republican.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 49.1 points in 1932 and a Republican high of 56.5 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 3.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 56.5 points.
A population of 24,573, a 76% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $65,719 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 23 and State Senate District 19.
Political twins — state-senate districts
The state-senate districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
State Senate District 23
South Dakota
96.7twin score
2016–2024 trajectory12-yr trend≠ German ancestry
State Senate District 19
South Dakota
94.8twin score
2016–2024 trajectory12-yr trend≠ German ancestry
State Senate District 40
Nebraska
91.9twin score
2016–2024 trajectory% unaffiliated≠ elasticity
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
District research tools
Open the source-auditable district brief for electoral baseline, electorate, current-cycle coverage, geography, official dates, and methodology. Open campaign intelligence report → · Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
South Dakota 21st State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/46021/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
South Dakota at the ballot boxAll elections →
Places within South Dakota 21st State Senate District
counties it covers5
Frequently asked questions
How did South Dakota 21st State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, South Dakota 21st State Senate District voted Republican by 56.5 points (R+56.5), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 11,587 votes cast, 2,417 went Democratic and 8,966 went Republican.
When did South Dakota 21st State Senate District last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which South Dakota 21st State Senate District voted Democratic was 1976.
How many people live in South Dakota 21st State Senate District?
South Dakota 21st State Senate District has a population of 24,573 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in South Dakota 21st State Senate District?
Median household income in South Dakota 21st State Senate District is $65,719 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of South Dakota 21st State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in South Dakota 21st State Senate District from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 27 went Republican.