1978 United States Senate election in South Dakota
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The 1978 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Abourezk did not run for re-election to a second term, but was succeeded by his political rival,[1] Republican U.S. Representative Larry Pressler.
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November 7, 1978
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 County results Pressler: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Barnett: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Don Barnett, former Mayor of Rapid City[2]
- Kenneth D. Stofferahn, farmer and former Republican State Representative from Humboldt[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Don Barnett | 37,319 | 55.12% | |
| Democratic | Kenneth D. Stofferahn | 30,384 | 44.88% | |
| Total votes | 67,703 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Larry Pressler, U.S. Representative from Humboldt
- Ron Williamson, businessman from Sioux Falls
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Pressler | 66,893 | 73.88% | |
| Republican | Ron Williamson | 23,646 | 26.12% | |
| Total votes | 90,539 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Pressler | 170,832 | 66.84% | |||
| Democratic | Don Barnett | 84,767 | 33.16% | |||
| Total votes | 255,599 | 100.00% | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||