Electoral MeridianIndependent Election Research

Forecasts. Results. Evidence.

States · South Dakota

Clay County, South Dakota

2026 election results. Dan Ahlers (D) got 55% of the vote for governor in Clay County. The margin is 3.3 points more Democratic than the 2024 presidential vote here.

2026 results in Clay County

U.S. Senate

Brian Bengs
56.3%2,278
Mike Rounds
43.7%1,770
100% counted

Statewide: Mike Rounds wins. Called.

Governor

Dan Ahlers
55.0%2,249
Larry Rhoden
45.0%1,839
100% counted

Statewide: Larry Rhoden wins. Called.

The leader in Clay County is only who has the most votes counted here. Races are won statewide or district-wide, and only the race pages report calls. Last vote update here Nov 5, 7:50 AM.

Compared with 2024

RaceMargin2024 presidentShift
SD GovernorD +10.0D +6.7D +3.3
SD-ALD +10.4——

Margins compare the Democrat and the Republican only. The 2024 column is the presidential margin in the same places as each race's votes here. Shift is this year's margin minus it, shown once at least 90% of the expected vote is counted. A dash means there's no 2024 figure for those exact places.

How Clay County has voted for president

YearDemocratShareRepublicanShareMarginVotes
2024Kamala Harris52.0%Donald Trump45.5%D +6.55,657
2020Joe Biden54.1%Donald Trump43.1%D +11.05,698
2016Hillary Clinton51.4%Donald Trump41.6%D +9.85,069
2012Barack Obama56.5%Mitt Romney41.0%D +15.45,234
2008Barack Obama61.8%John McCain37.3%D +24.56,159
2004John Kerry54.0%George W. Bush43.9%D +10.26,136
2000Al Gore51.7%George W. Bush46.3%D +5.45,105

Shares are of all presidential votes, and the margin is the Democrat's share minus the Republican's. Since 2000, the presidential margin here has moved D +1.2.

Other counties in South Dakota

South Dakota results

Sources & scope

Votes for 2026 come from the count this site reads, by county. They're unofficial until South Dakota certifies them. Past presidential votes are from MEDSL and VEST, via Polling Forecast. South Dakota's own results, deadlines and offices are on the state page.