Republicans Are Even Ramping Up Campaign Spending In Deep-Red South Dakota Now

Republicans began ramping up spending in South Dakota’s Senate race weeks before the election as South Dakotans continued to disapprove of President Donald Trump’s economic policies.

Republican-aligned spending totaled nearly $1.2 million in support of Republican South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds between the weeks of Aug. 11 and Monday, while independent-aligned groups spent nearly $516,000 in support of independent South Dakota Senate candidate Brian Bengs, according to Polaris, a media-buying firm. Spending in support of Rounds surged from just under $18,000 during the week of Sept. 15 to over $285,000 the following week, mirroring a national trend across red states in the 2026 cycle as voters remained dissatisfied with Trump’s economic policies.

The South Dakota Conservative PAC spent $590,861 in independent expenditures opposing Bengs, according to numbers released by Polaris. Its spending surged from over $55,000 the week of Sept. 1 to over $139,000 the week of Sept. 8. The PAC continued spending six figures throughout the month of September.

The PAC increased its spending on broadcast ads from over $24,000 the week of Sept. 1 to over $73,000 the following week. It spent $85,000 on broadcasting the week of Sept. 29.

Rounds reportedly deleted Trump’s name from his homepage after previously touting the president’s endorsement.

Trump’s decision to import 300,000 metric tons of foreign-raised beef into the U.S. was unpopular with South Dakota voters, according to The Hill. The senator said that South Dakota ranchers viewed Trump’s decision as a betrayal.

“The suggestion that they bring in 300,000 metric tons of beef is not a popular program. They feel just like the administration pulled the rug right out from underneath a lot of our farmers and ranchers,” Rounds said.

A Republican strategist told The Hill that Trump’s low approval rating among independent voters was a “huge problem,” especially given that Bengs is running as an independent.

Since the Iran war began, Trump’s approval rating in South Dakota dropped from 54% to its current 47%, according to Civiqs’ rolling online tracking survey. Forty-five percent of those surveyed in South Dakota disapproved of Trump.