1956 South Dakota gubernatorial election
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The 1956 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1956.
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November 6, 1956
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 County results Foss: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Herseth: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Governor Joe Foss defeated Democratic nominee Ralph Herseth with 54.39% of the vote.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on June 5, 1956.[1]
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Ralph Herseth, former State Senator[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ralph Herseth | unopposed | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe Foss (inc.) | unopposed | ||
General election
Candidates
- Ralph Herseth, Democratic
- Joe Foss, Republican
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joe Foss (inc.) | 158,819 | 54.39% | ||
| Democratic | Ralph Herseth | 133,198 | 45.61% | ||
| Majority | 25,621 | 8.77% | |||
| Turnout | 292,017 | 100.00% | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||