2004 South Dakota's at-large congressional district special election

2004 South Dakota's at-large congressional district special election

← 2002 June 1, 2004 November 2004 →

Nominee Stephanie Herseth Larry Diedrich Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 132,420 129,415 Percentage 50.6% 49.4%

County results Herseth:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90% Diedrich:      50–60%      60-70%      70-80%

U.S. Representative before election Bill Janklow Republican Elected U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Democratic

Elections in South Dakota
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2016 U.S. Senate elections 1889 1891 1894 1897 1901 1903 1903 sp 1907 1909 1913 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 1938 sp 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 U.S. House elections 1889 1890 1891 AL sp 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 AL sp 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 AL sp 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
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Ballot measures 2006 Amendment C 2008 Measure 9 Measure 10 2020 Amendment A Measure 26
v t e

The 2004 South Dakota's at-large congressional district special election, which was held on June 1, 2004, was triggered by the January 20, 2004 resignation of Republican Representative Bill Janklow following a conviction of vehicular manslaughter after an accident that had occurred in August 2003. Each party held a nominating convention to choose their nominee for the special election. Republicans nominated Larry Diedrich over Barbara Everist, also a South Dakota State Senator.^[1] Democrats chose attorney Stephanie Herseth, who had unsuccessfully challenged Janklow in 2002.

The special election was closely watched by both parties in an effort to gain momentum going into the 2004 House elections. The Hill committees of both parties spent a combined total of two million dollars on advertising in South Dakota.^[2] This election was especially important considering that in November 2004, in addition to this House seat, also up for election was Democratic Senator and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who was facing a tough race against John Thune, who had only lost his bid for South Dakota's other U.S. Senate seat in 2002 by 524 votes.

Herseth benefitted from her high name recognition from her previous run as well as her relation to the prominent Herseth family (one notable member of whom includes her grandfather Ralph Herseth, a former Governor of South Dakota). Vice President Dick Cheney came to South Dakota in March to campaign for Diedrich.^[2]

Herseth narrowly prevailed over Diedrich. The both of them won the regular primaries held on the same day as the special election, with Herseth winning a full term in November 2004 in a rematch with Diedrich. Some Democrats claimed this special election victory, as well as another one in Kentucky's 6th congressional district months earlier, were harbingers of major Democratic victories in November. However, instead Republicans expanded their majorities in both congressional chambers, net-gaining three House seats four Senate seats.

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Kingsbury (Largest city: De Smet)
• Lake (Largest city: Madison)
• Marshall (Largest city: Britton)
• Miner (Largest city: Howard)
• Minnehaha (Largest city: Sioux Falls)
• Moody (Largest city: Flandreau)
• Grant (Largest city: Milbank)
• Brule (Largest city: Chamberlain)
• Sanborn (Largest city: Woonsocket) (previously tied)
• Spink (largest city: Redfield) (previously tied)
• Yankton (largest city: Yankton)
• Jackson (largest city: Kadoka)

See also

• 2004 United States elections
• 108th United States Congress

References

This page was last edited on 5 April 2024, at 01:10