2008 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota
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The 2008 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota took place on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Voters selected a representative for their single at-large district, who ran on a statewide ballot.
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November 4, 2008
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  Herseth Sandlin: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Lein: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 50% | |||||||||||||||||
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Democratic incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was challenged by the Republican nominee, businessman and attorney Chris Lien. Neither candidate was opposed in the June 3, 2008 primary.[1] CQ Politics forecasted this race as 'Safe Democrat'.[2] George W. Bush won in this district 60% to 38% for John Kerry in 2004.
As of 2026, this election, along with the simultaneous Senate race, is the last time a Democrat won a statewide election in South Dakota. This also the last time either party won every county in the state in a contested race.
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[3] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[4] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[5] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[6] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[7] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (incumbent) | 256,041 | 67.56% | |
| Republican | Chris Lien | 122,966 | 32.44% | |
| Total votes | 379,007 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||