South Dakota's at-large congressional district

South Dakota's At-large congressional district
Current Representative	Kristi Noem (R)
Area	75,885 sq mi (196,540 km2)
Distribution	55.8% urban 44.2% rural
Population (2010)	814,180
Median income	47,223
Ethnicity	84.7% White 1.2% Black 1.0% Asian 2.7% Hispanic 8.5% Native American 2.0% other
Occupation	% Blue-collar % White-collar % Gray-collar
Cook PVI	R+9

South Dakota's At-Large Congressional District is the sole congressional district for the state of South Dakota. Based on size, it is the fourth largest congressional district in the nation.

The district is currently represented by Republican Kristi Noem.

History

The district was created when South Dakota achieved statehood on November 2, 1889, electing two members At-Large (statewide). Following the 1910 Census a third seat was gained, with the legislature drawing three separate districts. The third district was eliminated after the 1930 Census.

Following the 1980 Census the second seat was eliminated, creating a single At-Large district. Since 1983, South Dakota has retained a single congressional district.

Voter registration

Presidential Performance

• 2000: Gore - 37.56%, Bush - 60.30%, Third Party - 2.14%
• 2004: Kerry - 38.44%, Bush - 59.91%, Third Party - 1.65%
• 2008: Obama - 44.75%, McCain - 53.16%, Third Party - 2.09%
• 2012: Obama - 39.87%, Romney - 57.89%, Third Party - 2.24%
• 2016: Clinton - 31.74%, Trump - 61.53%, Third Party - 6.73%

Performance Average - Democrat (38.47%), Republican (58.56%), Third Party (2.97%)

2008 Presidential primary

Democratic primary

Hillary Clinton of New York won the June 3, 2008 South Dakota Democratic Primary with 55.35% of the statewide/at-large congressional district vote while Barack Obama of Illinois received 44.65%. The state/at-large congressional district gave Clinton her final win during the course of the historic and heavily drawn-out 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary season.

• U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, who had previously endorsed John Edwards, decided to support Obama before her state/congressional district voted in the primary for Clinton.

Republican primary

John McCain of Arizona easily won the June 3, 2008 South Dakota GOP Primary with 70.19% of the statewide/at-large congressional district vote while libertarian-leaning Ron Paul of Texas finished in second place in the state/congressional district with 16.52%.

Recent elections

2004 special election

Incumbent U.S. Representative Bill Janklow resigned the seat January 20, 2004, after he was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, triggering a special election. Democrat Stephanie Herseth was selected as the Democratic nominee for this special election and she defeated Republican Larry Diedrich with 51 percent of the vote in a close-fought election on June 1, 2004. Herseth's victory briefly gave the state its first all-Democratic congressional delegation since 1937.

2004 general election

In the November general election, Herseth was elected to a full term with 53.4 percent of the vote, an increase of a few percentage points compared with the even closer June special elections. Herseth's vote margin in June was about 3,000 votes, but by November it had grown to over 29,000.

Herseth thereby became the first woman in state history to win a full term in the U.S. Congress.

Both elections were hard-fought and close compared to many House races in the rest of the United States, and the special election was watched closely by a national audience. The general election was also viewed as one of the most competitive in the country, but was overshadowed in the state by the highly competitive U.S. Senate race between Democrat Tom Daschle and Republican John Thune, which Thune narrowly won.

2006 election

2008 election

2010 election

2012 election

List of representatives

Two seats were created in 1889. They were changed into three districts in 1913. One at-large seat remained after 1983.

Years	Seat A				Seat B
	Representative	Party	Electoral history		Representative	Party	Electoral history
November 2, 1889 – March 3, 1891	John Pickler	Republican	First elected in 1889 Re-elected in 1890 Re-elected in 1892 Re-elected in 1894 Retired		Oscar S. Gifford	Republican	Was Dakota Territory's territorial delegate Elected in 1889 Lost renomination
March 4, 1891 – August 14, 1891		John Rankin Gamble			Republican	Elected in 1890 Died
August 14, 1891 – December 7, 1891		Vacant
December 7, 1891 – March 3, 1893		John L. Jolley	Republican	Elected to finish Gamble's term Retired
March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895		William V. Lucas	Republican	Elected in 1892 Lost renomination
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897		Robert J. Gamble	Republican	Elected in 1894 Lost re-election
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	John Edward Kelley	Populist	Elected in 1896 Lost re-election	Freeman Knowles	Populist	Elected in 1896 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901	Charles H. Burke	Republican	First elected in 1898 Re-elected in 1900 Re-elected in 1902 Re-elected in 1904 Lost renomination	Robert J. Gamble	Republican	Elected in 1898 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903		Eben Martin		Republican	First elected in 1900 Re-elected in 1902 Re-elected in 1904 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1905
March 4, 1905 – March 3, 1907
March 4, 1907 – June 26, 1908	Philo Hall	Republican	Elected in 1906 Lost renomination	William H. Parker	Republican	Elected in 1906 Died
June 26, 1908 – November 3, 1908		Vacant
November 3, 1908 – March 3, 1909		Eben Martin	Republican	First elected to finish Parker's term Elected to next full term Re-elected in 1910 Redistricted to the 3rd district, and was re-elected there in 1912
March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1911	Charles H. Burke		Republican		First elected in 1908 Re-elected in 1910 Redistricted to the 1st district, and was re-elected there in 1912
March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913
In 1913, the two at-large seats were replaced by three districts. There were no at-large seats, therefore, until 1983.
By 1983, the remaining two district seats were reduced to one at-large seat.
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985	Tom Daschle	Democratic	Redistricted from the 1st district, and re-elected in 1982 Re-elected in 1984 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1987
January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1989	Tim Johnson	Democratic	First elected in 1986 Re-elected in 1988 Re-elected in 1990 Re-elected in 1992 Re-elected in 1994 Re-elected in 1996 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1991
January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 1999	John Thune	Republican	First elected in 1996 Re-elected in 1998 Re-elected in 2000 Retired to run for U.S. Senate
January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2001
January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003
January 3, 2003 – January 20, 2004	Bill Janklow	Republican	Elected in 2002 Resigned when convicted of vehicular manslaughter
January 20, 2004 – June 3, 2004	Vacant
June 3, 2004 – January 3, 2005	Stephanie Herseth Sandlin	Democratic	First elected to finish Janklow's term Elected to full term in 2004 Re-elected in 2006 Re-elected in 2008 Lost re-election
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013	Kristi Noem	Republican	First elected in 2010 Re-elected in 2012 Re-elected in 2014
January 3, 2013 – present

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• 2004 campaign finance data

Coordinates: 44°30′N 100°00′W / 44.5°N 100°W / 44.5; -100