2022 South Dakota gubernatorial election

The 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, electing the governor of South Dakota. Incumbent Republican Governor Kristi Noem defeated Democratic nominee Jamie Smith to win a second term.

Despite speculation about this race potentially being competitive, Noem improved on her 2018 performance by 11 percentage points and won 17 counties that she lost in 2018. She also received over 44,000 more raw votes than she did in 2018, setting a record for the most votes received by a candidate for governor in South Dakota.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Kristi Noem, incumbent governor Running mate: Larry Rhoden, incumbent lieutenant governor

Eliminated in primary

Steven Haugaard, state representative and former Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives

Declined Lora Hubbel, former state representative, former chair of the Minnehaha County Republican Party and the South Dakota Constitution Party, and candidate for governor in 2014 and 2018 (running as an independent) Mark Mickelson, former Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error StevenHaugaard KristiNoem UndecidedSouth Dakota State UniversityMay 2–15, 2022– (LV)± 3.0%17%61%22%

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Jamie Smith, Minority Leader of the South Dakota House of Representatives Running mate: Jennifer Healy Keintz, state representative

Declined Dan Ahlers, former state representative and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020 Remi Bald Eagle, former official for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and nominee for the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in 2020 Kooper Caraway, president of the South Dakota Federation of Labor Troy Heinert, Minority Leader of the South Dakota Senate Steve Hildebrand, political strategist Mike Huether, former mayor of Sioux Falls Brendan Johnson, former U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota and son of former U.S. Senator Tim Johnson Peri Pourier, state representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, president of Augustana University and former U.S. representative for Randy Seiler, chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party, former U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, and nominee for attorney general in 2018 Billie Sutton, former Minority Leader of the South Dakota Senate and nominee for governor in 2018 Bob Sutton, businessman

Libertarian convention Candidates Nominee Tracey Quint, coordinator Running mate: Ashley Strand

Independents Candidates Withdrew Lora Hubbel, former state representative, former chair of the Minnehaha County Republican Party and the South Dakota Constitution Party, and candidate for governor in 2014 and 2018 (running for State Senate)

General election Predictions Source Ranking As of The Cook Political Report March 4, 2022Inside Elections March 4, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball January 26, 2022PoliticoOctober 3, 2022 RCPSeptember 25, 2022Fox News May 12, 2022538October 5, 2022Elections DailyNovember 7, 2022

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error KristiNoem (R) JamieSmith (D) Other UndecidedEmerson CollegeEmerson CollegeOctober 19–21, 20221,500 (LV)± 2.4%56%37%3%4%57%39%4%–South Dakota State UniversitySouth Dakota State UniversitySeptember 28 – October 10, 2022565 (RV)± 4.0%45%41%–14%

Post-primary endorsements

Results

By county CountyKristi NoemRepublicanJamie SmithDemocraticTracey QuintLibertarianMarginTotal#%#%#%#%Aurora89473.64%28423.39%362.97%61050.25%1,214Beadle3,90166.84%1,71629.40%2193.75%2,18537.44%5,836Bennett61960.39%36835.90%383.71%25124.49%1,025Bon Homme1,85872.52%65025.37%542.11%1,20847.15%2,562Brookings6,97456.12%5,09641.01%3572.87%1,87815.11%12,427Brown8,45660.56%5,16737.00%3412.44%3,28923.55%13,964Brule1,46369.37%58927.93%572.70%87441.44%2,109Buffalo14436.27%23458.94%194.79%-90-22.67%397Butte3,21176.71%82319.66%1523.63%2,38857.05%4,186Campbell56184.11%9313.94%131.95%46870.16%667Charles Mix2,18770.75%84927.47%551.78%1,33843.29%3,091Clark1,22376.44%34121.31%362.25%88255.13%1,600Clay2,05443.29%2,58154.39%1102.32%-527-11.11%4,745Codington7,52067.87%3,25329.36%3072.77%4,26738.51%11,080Corson52256.25%37940.84%272.91%14315.41%928Custer3,63371.56%1,29325.47%1512.97%2,34046.09%5,077Davison4,88767.51%2,17930.10%1732.39%2,70837.41%7,239Day1,59963.43%87634.75%461.82%72328.68%2,521Deuel1,47974.28%45823.00%542.71%1,02151.28%1,991Dewey66242.06%86254.76%503.18%-200-12.71%1,574Douglas1,27285.71%18812.67%241.62%1,08473.05%1,484Edmunds1,32177.66%34620.34%342.00%97557.32%1,701Fall River2,67973.04%85923.42%1303.54%1,82049.62%3,668Faulk77180.73%16717.49%171.78%60463.25%955Grant2,32872.41%83025.82%571.77%1,49846.59%3,215Gregory1,61878.77%39319.13%432.09%1,22559.64%2,054Haakon89290.37%828.31%131.32%81082.07%987Hamlin2,11877.58%54820.07%642.34%1,57057.51%2,730Hand1,17778.36%29019.31%352.33%88759.05%1,502Hanson1,26777.63%33620.59%291.78%93157.05%1,632Harding63293.35%334.87%121.77%59988.48%677Hughes4,57161.38%2,65235.61%2243.01%1,91925.77%7,447Hutchinson2,50778.99%60419.03%631.98%1,90359.96%3,174Hyde46080.00%10618.43%91.57%35461.57%575Jackson62367.79%28030.47%161.74%34337.32%919Jerauld60469.75%23827.48%242.77%36642.26%866Jones39583.69%6413.56%132.75%33170.13%472Kingsbury1,79270.25%69227.13%672.63%1,10043.12%2,551Lake3,13163.05%1,72034.64%1152.32%1,41128.41%4,966Lawrence7,74963.28%4,04133.00%4563.72%3,70830.28%12,246Lincoln16,82859.76%10,72738.09%6062.15%6,10121.66%28,161Lyman87966.69%40530.73%342.58%47435.96%1,318Marshall1,12359.42%73738.99%301.59%38620.42%1,890McCook1,85172.67%62524.54%712.79%1,22648.14%2,547McPherson91182.82%16715.18%222.00%74467.64%1,100Meade8,48271.46%2,88724.32%5014.22%5,59547.14%11,870Mellette38661.27%21433.97%304.76%17227.30%630Miner73272.69%24824.63%272.68%48448.06%1,007Minnehaha39,23452.53%33,37644.69%2,0722.77%5,8587.84%74,682Moody1,66862.97%91034.35%712.68%75828.61%2,649Oglala Lakota2218.91%2,17287.58%873.51%-1,951-78.67%2,480Pennington27,58660.78%16,21535.73%1,5873.50%11,37125.05%45,388Perkins1,14283.24%17712.90%533.86%96570.34%1,372Potter89281.16%18717.02%201.82%70564.15%1,099Roberts2,16460.70%1,31536.89%862.41%84923.81%3,565Sanborn75775.40%22622.51%212.09%53152.89%1,004Spink1,83268.61%76528.65%732.73%1,06739.96%2,670Stanley99969.04%40728.13%412.83%59240.91%1,447Sully59775.76%16921.45%222.79%42854.31%788Todd40220.87%1,44474.97%804.15%-1,042-54.10%1,926Tripp1,87382.58%36416.05%311.37%1,50966.53%2,268Turner2,83473.32%91923.78%1122.90%1,91549.55%3,865Union4,72370.07%1,84827.42%1692.51%2,87542.66%6,740Walworth1,57376.62%43020.94%502.44%1,14355.67%2,053Yankton5,24758.89%3,35037.60%3133.51%1,89721.29%8,910Ziebach34550.51%30444.51%344.98%416.00%683Totals217,03561.98%123,14835.17%9,9832.85%93,88726.81%350,166

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Bon Homme (largest city: Springfield) Brookings (largest city: Brookings) Brown (largest city: Aberdeen) Charles Mix (largest city: Lake Andes) Corson (largest city: McLaughlin) Day (largest city: Webster) Hughes (largest city: Pierre) Lake (largest city: Madison) Marshall (largest city: Britton) Mellette (largest city: White River) Miner (largest city: Howard) Minnehaha (largest city: Sioux Falls) Moody (largest city: Flandreau) Roberts (largest city: Sisseton) Spink (largest city: Redfield) Yankton (largest city: Yankton) Ziebach (largest city: Dupree)

2022 South Dakota gubernatorial election

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