Which South Dakota counties moved most toward Democrats in 2026?
By Dem movement (2026 margin minus Harris's 2024 margin, in points):
- Perkins County: +14.3
- Aurora County: +13.8
- Sanborn County: +13.8
- Butte County: +13.6
- Fall River County: +13.5
South Dakota: 2026 election results by county and religion
How much did South Dakota move toward Democrats in 2026?
In South Dakota, the Democratic margin in the 2026 U.S. Senate race shifted +8.2 points from Harris's 2024 margin (R+29.2 in 2024, R+21.0 in 2026), counting all votes together. 55 of 66 counties moved toward Democrats, and the median county moved +5.7 points.
Map of Dem movement by county in South Dakota
R +30D +30Blue moved toward Democrats, red toward Republicans; the deeper the color, the bigger the move. Hover or tap a county for details.
Which South Dakota counties have the largest Christian share, and how did they move?
Share of the 2020 population belonging to a Christian congregation (leaving out counties where members outnumber residents):
- Douglas County: 94.3% Christian, Dem movement +0.2
- Hyde County: 89.3% Christian, Dem movement −1.9
- Jones County: 87.4% Christian, Dem movement +8.8
- Potter County: 85.9% Christian, Dem movement +3.8
- Campbell County: 84.8% Christian, Dem movement +7.7
South Dakota counties ranked by Dem movement
Dem movement is the 2026 Democratic margin in the state's top race (U.S. Senate; independent counted as Democratic side) minus Harris's 2024 margin, in points. Religion columns are each group's share of the 2020 population, counting congregation members, not how people identify.
| County | Dem movement | 2024 margin | 2026 margin | Christian | Protestant | Evangelical | Catholic | No Congregation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perkins County | +14.3 | R+70.0 | R+55.7 | 69.8% | 53.8% | 27.5% | 16.0% | 30.2% |
| Aurora County | +13.8 | R+54.1 | R+40.3 | 70.3% | 40.4% | 11.4% | 29.9% | 29.7% |
| Sanborn County | +13.8 | R+55.3 | R+41.5 | 56.1% | 37.9% | 14.3% | 18.2% | 43.9% |
| Butte County | +13.6 | R+60.6 | R+47.1 | 46.3% | 33.8% | 24.3% | 9.1% | 53.7% |
| Fall River County | +13.5 | R+49.2 | R+35.7 | 46.0% | 29.7% | 17.4% | 9.3% | 53.9% |
| Harding County | +13.5 | R+86.1 | R+72.6 | 60.4% | 33.9% | 13.8% | 26.5% | 39.6% |
| Meade County | +12.6 | R+50.9 | R+38.3 | 34.5% | 20.8% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 64.9% |
| Lawrence County | +12.3 | R+31.4 | R+19.0 | 39.5% | 29.7% | 19.4% | 9.2% | 60.5% |
| Pennington County | +12.1 | R+26.4 | R+14.3 | 48.9% | 38.4% | 28.1% | 8.0% | 50.9% |
| Hamlin County | +11.8 | R+60.5 | R+48.6 | 23.7% | 17.8% | 3.8% | 6.0% | 76.3% |
| Deuel County | +11.0 | R+51.7 | R+40.7 | 78.1% | 65.6% | 28.2% | 12.5% | 21.9% |
| Codington County | +10.7 | R+40.8 | R+30.1 | 65.3% | 42.5% | 18.0% | 21.1% | 34.6% |
| Custer County | +10.5 | R+45.8 | R+35.3 | 40.9% | 35.1% | 17.9% | 4.3% | 59.0% |
| Lyman County* | +9.9 | R+39.5 | R+29.6 | 114.5% | 31.0% | 6.4% | 83.5% | -14.7% |
| Haakon County | +9.8 | R+79.9 | R+70.1 | 63.5% | 24.4% | 15.1% | 26.8% | 36.5% |
| Edmunds County | +9.7 | R+60.8 | R+51.1 | 64.4% | 40.7% | 23.5% | 23.7% | 35.6% |
| Minnehaha County | +9.6 | R+12.7 | R+3.1 | 66.7% | 47.6% | 25.3% | 16.7% | 33.1% |
| Lincoln County | +9.3 | R+26.5 | R+17.2 | 25.9% | 22.7% | 9.9% | 2.4% | 74.1% |
| Gregory County | +9.2 | R+60.2 | R+51.0 | 81.9% | 42.5% | 25.4% | 38.0% | 18.0% |
| Hanson County | +9.0 | R+59.2 | R+50.2 | 46.1% | 20.3% | 16.7% | 25.8% | 53.9% |
| Jones County | +8.8 | R+75.8 | R+67.0 | 87.4% | 46.8% | 28.2% | 40.6% | 12.5% |
| Yankton County | +8.4 | R+25.5 | R+17.1 | 59.7% | 32.8% | 16.3% | 24.8% | 40.3% |
| Moody County | +8.0 | R+31.9 | R+23.8 | 64.1% | 48.2% | 20.6% | 15.9% | 35.8% |
| Bon Homme County | +7.8 | R+51.4 | R+43.6 | 50.7% | 31.9% | 18.0% | 18.7% | 49.3% |
| Campbell County | +7.7 | R+70.1 | R+62.4 | 84.8% | 65.5% | 30.7% | 19.3% | 15.2% |
| Turner County | +6.7 | R+51.3 | R+44.6 | 49.9% | 43.3% | 11.0% | 6.7% | 50.1% |
| Union County | +6.7 | R+40.7 | R+34.0 | 33.5% | 22.2% | 4.8% | 11.2% | 66.5% |
| Bennett County | +6.3 | R+26.4 | R+20.1 | 25.0% | 18.3% | 8.9% | 6.7% | 71.7% |
| Miner County | +6.2 | R+47.0 | R+40.7 | 54.2% | 36.3% | 11.4% | 17.9% | 45.7% |
| Day County | +6.1 | R+29.9 | R+23.7 | 68.7% | 45.2% | 11.5% | 23.5% | 31.3% |
| Clay County | +6.0 | D+6.5 | D+12.6 | 34.1% | 20.9% | 5.1% | 9.7% | 65.8% |
| Roberts County | +6.0 | R+23.0 | R+17.0 | 58.5% | 43.9% | 14.4% | 11.5% | 41.4% |
| Brule County | +5.7 | R+42.4 | R+36.8 | 64.6% | 47.3% | 27.2% | 11.9% | 35.3% |
| Brown County | +5.6 | R+26.8 | R+21.2 | 74.9% | 44.2% | 20.3% | 29.1% | 24.8% |
| McCook County | +5.4 | R+49.3 | R+43.9 | 60.3% | 37.6% | 15.9% | 22.7% | 39.6% |
| Brookings County | +5.4 | R+17.4 | R+12.0 | 50.1% | 38.1% | 18.7% | 10.4% | 49.4% |
| Kingsbury County | +5.3 | R+43.9 | R+38.6 | 80.9% | 64.5% | 8.7% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
| Davison County | +4.9 | R+37.8 | R+32.9 | 62.4% | 36.8% | 17.4% | 23.0% | 37.6% |
| Hutchinson County | +4.7 | R+57.9 | R+53.2 | 82.3% | 66.0% | 59.0% | 16.3% | 17.7% |
| McPherson County | +4.7 | R+69.2 | R+64.5 | 64.0% | 51.5% | 26.7% | 12.5% | 36.0% |
| Charles Mix County | +4.7 | R+42.9 | R+38.2 | 68.4% | 45.0% | 30.7% | 23.4% | 31.6% |
| Grant County | +4.5 | R+45.4 | R+40.9 | 71.6% | 47.7% | 22.1% | 23.8% | 28.4% |
| Walworth County | +4.0 | R+59.2 | R+55.1 | 78.4% | 57.3% | 36.9% | 19.3% | 21.3% |
| Tripp County | +3.9 | R+63.3 | R+59.4 | 58.9% | 30.9% | 17.0% | 23.9% | 41.0% |
| Potter County | +3.8 | R+65.1 | R+61.3 | 85.9% | 28.1% | 17.3% | 48.5% | 14.1% |
| Faulk County | +3.8 | R+65.2 | R+61.5 | 73.3% | 46.5% | 26.4% | 26.8% | 26.7% |
| Beadle County | +3.3 | R+40.1 | R+36.8 | 60.7% | 45.8% | 29.4% | 12.0% | 39.3% |
| Lake County | +3.2 | R+31.2 | R+27.9 | 59.9% | 44.1% | 12.6% | 13.7% | 40.1% |
| Jackson County | +2.8 | R+35.1 | R+32.3 | 22.7% | 19.9% | 6.1% | 2.9% | 75.4% |
| Spink County | +2.6 | R+39.0 | R+36.4 | 70.4% | 45.8% | 18.3% | 24.5% | 29.6% |
| Jerauld County | +2.3 | R+43.2 | R+40.9 | 66.3% | 48.0% | 13.2% | 18.3% | 33.7% |
| Marshall County | +2.3 | R+24.0 | R+21.7 | 69.5% | 53.7% | 29.2% | 15.8% | 30.5% |
| Hand County | +1.2 | R+57.3 | R+56.1 | 63.2% | 32.1% | 12.1% | 23.8% | 36.8% |
| Corson County | +0.6 | R+11.9 | R+11.3 | 52.7% | 21.3% | 2.8% | 25.6% | 46.0% |
| Douglas County | +0.2 | R+72.4 | R+72.2 | 94.3% | 81.0% | 46.1% | 13.3% | 5.7% |
| Clark County | −0.1 | R+52.5 | R+52.6 | 66.1% | 58.6% | 23.8% | 7.5% | 33.9% |
| Sully County | −0.7 | R+60.8 | R+61.5 | 44.0% | 27.4% | 11.1% | 16.6% | 55.9% |
| Todd County | −0.8 | D+50.5 | D+49.7 | 30.9% | 18.1% | 10.7% | 10.3% | 67.1% |
| Stanley County | −1.2 | R+46.9 | R+48.1 | 46.8% | 4.4% | 0.8% | 42.4% | 53.2% |
| Oglala Lakota County | −1.8 | D+70.6 | D+68.7 | 22.8% | 13.6% | 4.7% | 7.5% | 75.9% |
| Hyde County | −1.9 | R+55.0 | R+56.9 | 89.3% | 71.9% | 26.6% | 17.4% | 10.7% |
| Hughes County | −2.1 | R+30.1 | R+32.2 | 64.3% | 45.9% | 28.8% | 15.8% | 35.6% |
| Mellette County | −2.6 | R+20.1 | R+22.8 | 36.5% | 21.8% | 7.2% | 14.7% | 62.8% |
| Ziebach County | −3.0 | R+2.8 | R+5.8 | 38.5% | 30.3% | 20.6% | 8.3% | 60.5% |
| Dewey County | −5.1 | D+12.8 | D+7.7 | 44.8% | 15.4% | 5.5% | 24.9% | 55.0% |
| Buffalo County | −5.3 | D+27.2 | D+22.0 | 76.6% | 8.4% | 0.0% | 68.2% | 22.5% |
* The Religion Census counts church members where their church is, not where they live. That skews the religion shares of the 1 counties marked with an asterisk, where members outnumber residents.
South Dakota congressional districts
"House vs. 2024" compares the 2026 House margin with Harris's 2024 margin inside the district's current lines (NBC News's district baseline); it is blank where only one party ran, where two candidates of one party met in a top-two race, or where NBC has no 2024 baseline. "Top race, from its counties" averages the county Dem movement of the district's counties, weighted by each county's House votes.
| District | Winner | House vs. 2024 | Top race, from its counties | 2024 president | 2026 House | Christian | Evangelical | Catholic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD-AL | Jackley (R) | +1.9 | +8.2 | R+29.9 | R+28.0 | 55.1% | 20.3% | 14.7% |
Data: download the full report and all data. Method: how it's measured.