US Senate
General election·2026-11-03·Polls close 7 p.m. local time (Central/Mountain)·Contested
Republican
1 candidate
Two-term incumbent U.S. Senator and former Governor of South Dakota (2003-2011). First elected to Senate in 2014.
Other Candidates
1 candidateBB
Brian Bengs
Independent
U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran, former NSU political science professor. Was 2022 Democratic Senate nominee, running as Independent in 2026.
In the news
- Podcast: How an independent US Senate candidate wants to ‘deny the majority’ to get things doneSouth Dakota Searchlight· Aug 28
The story covers the upcoming US Senate general election on November 3, 2026, featuring Mike Rounds and Brian Bengs.
- US senator from South Dakota subjects Postal Service to multiple pressure pointsSouth Dakota Searchlight· Aug 21
The story documents Senator Rounds' official actions and advocacy regarding postal service performance issues affecting his South Dakota constituents.
- Rounds announces bill to encourage converting cropland back to pastureSouth Dakota Searchlight· Aug 20
Senator Rounds is announcing and unveiling legislation as part of his public official duties, demonstrating his policy work and legislative priorities.
South Dakota Searchlight stories are republished-linkable under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (States Newsroom).