HarrisDemocratic27.6%3,111TrumpRepublican70.3%7,932OtherAll other candidates2.2%245
R+42.7- Lead
- 4,821
- Total
- 11,288
- vs nation
- R+41.2
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
Akashicstate senate district
South Dakota 28th 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
BidenDemocratic30.3%3,461TrumpRepublican67.5%7,721OtherAll other candidates2.2%257
R+37.2- Lead
- 4,260
- Total
- 11,439
- vs nation
- R+41.7
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ClintonDemocratic26.0%2,698TrumpRepublican68.1%7,064OtherAll other candidates5.9%615
R+42.1- Lead
- 4,366
- Total
- 10,377
- vs nation
- R+44.2
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ObamaDemocratic35.6%3,697RomneyRepublican61.7%6,408OtherAll other candidates2.8%288
R+26.1- Lead
- 2,711
- Total
- 10,393
- vs nation
- R+29.9
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ObamaDemocratic42.4%4,659McCainRepublican54.6%6,004OtherAll other candidates3.0%329
R+12.2- Lead
- 1,345
- Total
- 10,992
- vs nation
- R+19.5
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
KerryDemocratic38.5%4,740BushRepublican59.2%7,287OtherAll other candidates2.2%276
R+20.7- Lead
- 2,547
- Total
- 12,303
- vs nation
- R+18.2
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
GoreDemocratic30.4%2,944BushRepublican66.3%6,421OtherAll other candidates3.2%314
R+35.9- Lead
- 3,477
- Total
- 9,679
- vs nation
- R+36.4
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
ClintonDemocratic37.5%3,879DoleRepublican48.7%5,032OtherAll other candidates13.8%1,432
R+11.1- Lead
- 1,153
- Total
- 10,343
- vs nation
- R+19.7
modeled Census-place estimatemodeled estimate
Key facts
- 2024 presidential margin
- R+42.7MIT Election Lab
- Population
- 25,9432024 5-year
- Population density
- 1.8 / sq mi2024 5-year · TIGER/Line
- Land area
- 14,525 sq miTIGER/Line
- Median household income
- $64,9102024 5-year
- White (non-Hispanic)
- 58.6%2024 5-year
- Black
- 0.1%2024 5-year
- Hispanic / Latino
- 2.5%2024 5-year
- Peak Democratic margin
- D+40.0 in 1912MIT Election Lab
- Peak Republican margin
- R+46.3 in 1924MIT Election Lab
- Most similar
- State Senate District 2, ND · twin score 87.6
presidential history
Party record book
South Dakota 28th 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
56.1%
286 votes · D+12.5 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Woodrow Wilson, 1916 · 50.9%
Republican
Donald Trump2024
70.3%
7,932 votes · R+42.7 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Ronald Reagan, 1980 · 69.5%
Most votes
Largest number of votes cast for the party’s presidential nominee here.
Democratic
John Kerry2004
4,740votes
38.5% of the vote · R+20.7 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Barack Obama, 2008 · 4,659 votes
Republican
Ronald Reagan1980
8,309votes
69.5% of the vote · R+44.3 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2024 · 7,932 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
+20.4pts D vs U.S.
Place D+40.0 · U.S. D+19.5 · a third-party candidate carried the Place · modeled estimate
Runner-up · William J. Bryan, 1896 · +18.6 pts
Republican
Donald Trump2016
+44.2pts R vs U.S.
Place R+42.1 · U.S. D+2.1 · modeled estimate
Runner-up · Donald Trump, 2020 · +41.7 pts
current representation
Current officeholders
RSam MartyState Senate · 28
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%8,262 | 8,262 |
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+42.7 across a sparse rural population of roughly 26,000, this district's electoral outcomes have been among the most predictable in the state legislature.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 40.0 points in 1912 and a Republican high of 46.3 points in 1924. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 5.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 42.7 points.
A population of 25,943, a 59% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $64,910 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 2 and State Senate District 1.
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 2
North Dakota
87.6twin score
2016–2024 trajectory12-yr trendpopulation scale≠ elasticity
State Senate District 1
North Dakota
87.4twin score
2016–2024 trajectory12-yr trend≠ Norwegian ancestry
State Senate District 26
North Dakota
86.7twin score
college sharepopulation scale2012–2016 trajectory≠ 2020 margin
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 28th State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/46028/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
License: CC BY 4.0
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Places within South Dakota 28th State Senate District
Frequently asked questions
How did South Dakota 28th State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, South Dakota 28th State Senate District voted Republican by 42.7 points (R+42.7), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 11,288 votes cast, 3,111 went Democratic and 7,932 went Republican.
When did South Dakota 28th State Senate District last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which South Dakota 28th State Senate District voted Democratic was 1964.
How many people live in South Dakota 28th State Senate District?
South Dakota 28th State Senate District has a population of 25,943 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in South Dakota 28th State Senate District?
Median household income in South Dakota 28th State Senate District is $64,910 — below the national median of $80,734. The South Dakota state median is $75,081.
What is the political history of South Dakota 28th State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in South Dakota 28th State Senate District from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 5 went Democratic and 27 went Republican.