| Election Name: | 2022 United States Senate election in South Dakota |
| Country: | South Dakota |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2016 United States Senate election in South Dakota |
| Previous Year: | 2016 |
| Next Election: | 2028 United States Senate election in South Dakota |
| Next Year: | 2028 |
| Election Date: | November 8, 2022 |
| Image1: | John Thune 117th Congress portrait cropped.jpg |
| Nominee1: | John Thune |
| Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 242,316 |
| Percentage1: | 69.63% |
| Nominee2: | Brian Bengs |
| Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 91,007 |
| Percentage2: | 26.15% |
| Map Size: | 260px |
| U.S. Senator | |
| Before Election: | John Thune |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | John Thune |
| After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 2022 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of South Dakota. Incumbent three-term Republican U.S. Senator John Thune, who is the Senate Minority Whip, was first elected in 2004, defeating Democratic incumbent Tom Daschle, the then-Senate Minority Leader. He ran for reelection to a fourth term. The Democratic nominee was 26-year Navy, Air Force JAG Corps veteran, and former college professor Brian Bengs. Thune was ultimately reelected, becoming the first Senator from South Dakota to be elected to a fourth term since Karl Mundt in 1966, and only the second to do so after Mundt.[1]
On December 23, 2020, then-President Donald Trump said Thune would face a primary challenger after Thune refused to support a challenge of the 2020 Electoral College results, tweeting:[2] "Republicans in the Senate so quickly forget. Right now they would be down 8 seats without my backing them in the last Election. RINO John Thune, 'Mitch's boy', should just let it play out. South Dakota doesn't like weakness. He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!" South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem stated she would not challenge Thune for the seat.[3] On January 1, 2021, Trump tweeted that Noem should challenge Thune in a primary, despite Noem previously saying she would not do so, instead running for re-election as Governor in 2022.[4]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Dusty Johnson | Kristi Noem | John Thune | Undecided | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrizio Lee (R) | January 2022 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 30% | – | 47% | 23% | |
| – | 49% | 40% | 10% |
| Source | Ranking | As of | |
|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report[17] | November 19, 2021 | |
| align=left | Inside Elections[18] | January 7, 2022 | |
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball[19] | November 3, 2021 | |
| Politico[20] | April 1, 2022 | ||
| RCP[21] | January 10, 2022 | ||
| align=left | Fox News[22] | May 12, 2022 | |
| DDHQ[23] | July 20, 2022 | ||
| 538[24] | June 30, 2022 | ||
| The Economist[25] | September 7, 2022 |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | John Thune (R) | Brian Bengs (D) | Tamara Lesnar (L) | Undecided | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State University | September 28 – October 10, 2022 | 565 (RV) | ± 4.0% | 53% | 28% | – | 20% | ||
| Lake Research Partners (D) | September 6–11, 2022 | 400 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 46% | 33% | 8% | 11% | ||
| Moore Information Group (R) | March 14–19, 2022 | 400 (LV) | ± 5.0% | 59% | 24% | 6% | 11% |