In the final story from the fall 2026 South Dakota Poll, sponsored by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, read about the key takeaways from each race and our process from the Mason-Dixon Poll that surveyed 500 likely voters. The South Dakota Poll provides a snapshot not only of which candidates may be in the lead but also of what South Dakotans think about national and statewide issues. If you have questions about the poll results or process, join us for a live, virtual Q&A session with the pollster, analysts and reporters at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12 . Click this link to join the Google Meet session in your browser. Read below for a recap of the poll results from state and congressional races, which ballot measures have support and opinions on major issues. Plus, view the methodology and raw numbers from the poll. Key findings Here's a recap from the latest South Dakota Polls and News Watch's analysis. Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden leads Democrat Dan Ahlers by 20 points in the governor's race. Fifty percent of South Dakotans have a favorable view of Rhoden and a majority of South Dakotans approve of his performance as governor. Ahlers had low recognition (35%) versus just 1% for Rhoden. Read the full story. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, a Republican, is leading Democratic opponent Nikki Gronli 60-32%. Jackley and Gronli were tied in support from 18-34 year-olds at 45%. More than half of respondents did not recognize Gronli's name. Read the full story. In the race for U.S. Senate, incumbent Sen. Mike Rounds leads challenger Brian Bengs 56-37%. Bengs (46%) and Rounds (47%) effectively split younger voters, aged 18-34. Thirty percent of independents polled said they would choose Rounds, a Republican, over Bengs, an Independent. About two-third of respondents approve of Rounds' job performance as senator; one-third don't approve. Read the full story. The Secretary of State race has three candidates, but the Democratic and Republican candidates are neck and neck. Democrat Terrence Davis is trailing closely behind state Republican state Rep. Heather Baxter, with a large margin of voters undecided. Read the full story. About one-third of respondents were undecided on ballot measures to set up an unclaimed property fund and to change Medicaid coverage. Approval was higher for a measure that clarifies voter eligibility. Almost half of likely voters polled said no to Amendment L, which would require 60% of the vote to amend the constitution. Read the full story. More than half of South Dakotans polled generally oppose data centers and believe artificial intelligence has a negative impact on society, according to our issues polls. President Donald Trump and Sen. Majority Leader John Thune both have job approval ratings of about 50%. Read the full story. Methodology Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters , conducted the survey of 500 likely voters in the state on Oct. 12-14. Topics and questions were drafted in a collaborative effort by South Dakota News Watch, the Chiesman Center for Democracy at USD and Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy. We attempted to choose topics that are top of mind for voters like artificial intelligence, data centers and the economy, along with polling for top state races. While we wish we could poll on every topic and race, we were careful to pick the most influential and contentious to not overwhelm respondents. Some poll topics that didn't make the cut were on voters' thoughts on U.S. involvement in current international conflicts, rural health care, child care and White House press issues. We also polled only for the Secretary of State race, though other constitutional office races on the ballot, like state auditor and public utilities commissioner may prove to be contentious. Much can change before Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 3, but we hope you have found the poll results insightful. Raw numbers Here are documents with details of the poll results, which can be downloaded by clicking the arrow: 2026-10 methodology How the poll was conducted 2026-10 methodology.pdf 254 KB download-circle 2026-10 poll demographics Demographics of respondents of the South Dakota Poll 2026-10 poll demographics.pdf 161 KB download-circle 2026-10 tabs report Cross tabs from the South Dakota Poll 2026-10 tabs report.pdf 266 KB download-circle Share your thoughts on this story South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, subscribe for free and donate at sdnewswatch.org . Contact reporter Emily DeCock: 605-736-4396 / emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org . News/Investigations Government/Politics