HarrisDemocratic42.5%3,294TrumpRepublican54.9%4,259OtherAll other candidates2.6%199
R+12.4- Lead
- 965
- Total
- 7,752
- vs nation
- R+11.0
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
Akashicstate senate district
South Dakota 26th 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
BidenDemocratic45.7%3,959TrumpRepublican52.1%4,507OtherAll other candidates2.2%191
R+6.3- Lead
- 548
- Total
- 8,657
- vs nation
- R+10.8
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ClintonDemocratic40.3%3,086TrumpRepublican53.6%4,102OtherAll other candidates6.1%470
R+13.3- Lead
- 1,016
- Total
- 7,658
- vs nation
- R+15.4
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ObamaDemocratic51.5%4,406RomneyRepublican46.9%4,016OtherAll other candidates1.6%137
D+4.6- Lead
- 390
- Total
- 8,559
- vs nation
- D+0.7
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ObamaDemocratic53.9%4,906McCainRepublican43.8%3,987OtherAll other candidates2.2%204
D+10.1- Lead
- 919
- Total
- 9,097
- vs nation
- D+2.8
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
KerryDemocratic52.4%5,605BushRepublican45.5%4,861OtherAll other candidates2.1%226
D+7.0- Lead
- 744
- Total
- 10,692
- vs nation
- D+9.4
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
GoreDemocratic42.4%2,947BushRepublican55.0%3,818OtherAll other candidates2.6%181
R+12.5- Lead
- 871
- Total
- 6,946
- vs nation
- R+13.1
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ClintonDemocratic50.3%4,122DoleRepublican39.6%3,247OtherAll other candidates10.1%825
D+10.7- Lead
- 875
- Total
- 8,194
- vs nation
- D+2.2
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+12.4MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 23,3542024 5-year
- Population density
- 3.4 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 6,779 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $55,2022024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 37.2%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.2%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 1.9%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+47.2 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+29.5 in 1892MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- State Senate District 27, SD · twin score 70.7
presidential history
Party record book
South Dakota 26th 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
William J. Bryan1896
56.6%
837 votes · D+13.7 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · 53.9%
Republican
Theodore Roosevelt1904
62.6%
1,825 votes · R+29.5 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1984 · 60.2%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
John Kerry2004
5,605votes
52.4% of the vote · D+7.0 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · 4,906 votes
Republican
Ronald Reagan1980
5,384votes
59.5% of the vote · R+25.9 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1984 · 4,997 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
+27.7pts D vs U.S.
Place D+47.2 · U.S. D+19.5 · a third-party candidate carried the Place · modeled estimate
Runner-up · William J. Bryan, 1896 · +19.7 pts
Republican
Benjamin Harrison1892
+31.2pts R vs U.S.
Place R+29.5 · U.S. D+1.7 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1980 · +16.2 pts
current representation
Current officeholders
RTamara GroveState Senate · 26
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
U.S. House elections · 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | R | 0.0%0 | 100.0%5,702 | 5,702 |
South Dakota 26th State Senate District sits in the Northern Plains. In 2024 it voted Republican.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 47.2 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 29.5 points in 1892. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 6.1 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 12.4 points.
A population of 23,354, a 37% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $55,202 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 27 and State Senate District 28.
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 27
South Dakota
70.7twin score
population scalemedian agemedian income≠ % Catholic
State Senate District 28
South Dakota
67.3twin score
12-yr trendpopulation scalecollege share≠ % Catholic
State Senate District 9
North Dakota
61.8twin score
population scalemedian age% White≠ 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 26th State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/46026/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
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Places within South Dakota 26th State Senate District
Frequently asked questions
How did South Dakota 26th State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, South Dakota 26th State Senate District voted Republican by 12.4 points (R+12.4), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 7,752 votes cast, 3,294 went Democratic and 4,259 went Republican.
When did South Dakota 26th State Senate District last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which South Dakota 26th State Senate District voted Democratic was 2012.
How many people live in South Dakota 26th State Senate District?
South Dakota 26th State Senate District has a population of 23,354 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in South Dakota 26th State Senate District?
Median household income in South Dakota 26th State Senate District is $55,202 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of South Dakota 26th State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in South Dakota 26th State Senate District from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 14 went Democratic and 19 went Republican.