United States Senator
November 3, 2026 · South Dakota · Statewide · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: High · 89 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 907,428 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(39,287,377 ÷ 907,428) ÷ ln(39,287,377 ÷ 582,397) = 89.47, comparing all statewide districts nationwide (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
High representation + unknown decisiveness → High vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
United States Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on federal laws, taxes, and the federal budget
- Approving or rejecting the president's nominees for judges and top officials
- Voting on whether to approve treaties with other countries
- Helping people in the state deal with federal agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Immigration, Government Spending Reduction, Social Programs and Welfare, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, National Defense, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Foreign Trade, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure, Peaceful Foreign Policy
Candidates
Brian L Bengs
IND · declared
Brian L. Bengs is an independent U.S. Senate candidate in South Dakota; his campaign biography describes him as a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, former educator, and former 2022 Senate nominee.
Records: National Defense 1 for
Julian Beaudion
DEM · declared
Julian Beaudion is the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in South Dakota; his campaign describes him as a former state trooper and small-business owner.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 for
Mike Rounds
REP · Incumbent · declared
Mike Rounds is the incumbent Republican U.S. senator from South Dakota and a former South Dakota governor and state senator seeking reelection in 2026.
Records: Government Spending Reduction 2 for, National Defense 1 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Women's Reproductive Rights 2 against
Election sources
Source: vip.sdsos.gov
Source: sdsos.gov