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Noem: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Sutton: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections in South Dakota |
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The 2018 South Dakota gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of South Dakota. Incumbent Republican governor Dennis Daugaard was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term.
Republican candidate Kristi Noem won against Democratic candidate Billie Sutton in the closest gubernatorial election in South Dakota since 1986.[1] Noem also became the first female governor of the state.[2] Her victory extended the longest active hold on a governorship by one party; the GOP has won every gubernatorial election in South Dakota starting in 1978. Conversely, Noem's vote percentage of 51% was the worst performance for any Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state since 1974, while Sutton's 47.6% was the best for any Democratic candidate since 1986.