South Dakota Senate Democrat drops out, leaving independent candidate to run against Rounds

Campaign South Dakota Senate Democrat drops out, leaving independent candidate to run against Rounds Comments: by Caroline Vakil - 08/05/26 8:35 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Caroline Vakil - 08/05/26 8:35 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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South Dakota Senate Democratic candidate Julian Beaudion announced on Tuesday that he would be suspending his campaign for the upper chamber, leaving independent candidate Brian Bengs to take on Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) this fall.

“In recent weeks, my family has faced extraordinary personal challenges. As many of you know, we experienced a devastating house fire while continuing to navigate significant personal financial hardship,” Beaudion said in a statement shared on social platform X.

“After the fire, an opponent and those associated with the opponent, hit my family and I with intimidating threats to drop out of this race,” he added, saying that the “mental and physical safety of my family is my priority.”

Beaudion noted he was not endorsing Bengs, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, or Rounds ahead of November — the only two candidates remaining in the race.

Still, Bengs lauded Beaudion’s decision and said he would be seeking the former South Dakota State Trooper’s input in his campaign heading into the general election.

“We both recognize the most important goal here is retiring Mike Rounds,” the independent said in a statement, calling Beaudion a “patriot.”

“As a small business owner, 13-year State Trooper and prominent community leader in Sioux Falls, I look forward to future conversations gathering Julian’s input on the issues regular South Dakotans are facing,” he added.

While Beaudion’s exit narrows the contours of the South Dakota Senate race, Democrats and independents have a tough climb ahead in flipping Rounds’ seat given the Mount Rushmore State’s reliably Republican leanings statewide.

President Trump won South Dakota by just shy of 30 points in 2024 and Rounds has held his seat since 2015.

The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Rounds’s seat as “solid Republican.”