Biggest wins for U.S. Senator from SD

The following are two rankings of the biggest wins by candidates for U.S. Senate from South Dakota, beginning with the first popular election for U.S. Senate in 1914 (prior to that time, U.S. Senators were elected by the State Legislature of each state).

Winning U.S. Senate candidates, by percentage of the vote

% Vote	Year	Candidate	Party	Status	Votes	Runner-up
100.0%	2010	John Thune	R	Incumbent	277,903	unopposed
74.5%	1984	Larry Pressler	R	Incumbent	235,176	George Cunningham
71.8%	2016	John Thune	R	Incumbent	265,516	Jay Williams
69.6%	2022	John Thune	R	Incumbent	242,316	Brian Bengs
66.8%	1978	Larry Pressler	R	Open seat	170,832	Don Barnett
66.3%	1966	Karl Mundt	R	Incumbent	150,517	Donn H. Wright
65.7%	2020	Mike Rounds	R	Incumbent	276,232	Dan Ahlers
64.9%	1992	Tom Daschle	D	Incumbent	217,095	Charlene Haar
63.9%	1950	Francis Case	R	Open seat	160,670	John A. Engel
63.9%	1944	Chan Gurney	R	Incumbent	145,248	George M. Bradshaw
62.5%	2008	Tim Johnson	D	Incumbent	237,812	Joel Dykstra
62.1%	1998	Tom Daschle	D	Incumbent	162,884	Ron Schmidt
59.5%	1926	Peter Norbeck	R	Incumbent	105,756	C. J. Gunderson
59.3%	1948	Karl Mundt	R	Open seat	144,084	John A. Engel
58.7%	1942	Harlan J. Bushfield	R	Open seat	106,704	Tom Berry
58.2%	1980	Jim Abdnor	R	Challenger	190,594	George McGovern
58.1%	1938S	Gladys Pyle	R	Open seat	155,292	John T. McCullen
57.3%	1954	Karl Mundt	R	Incumbent	135,071	Kenneth Holum
57.0%	1972	Jim Abourezk	D	Open seat	174,773	Robert W. Hirsch
56.8%	1968	George McGovern	D	Incumbent	158,961	Archie Gubbrud
55.1%	1918	Thomas Sterling	R	Incumbent	51,198	Orville E. Rinehart
53.8%	1932	Peter Norbeck	R	Incumbent	151,845	U. S. G. Cherry
53.0%	1974	George McGovern	D	Incumbent	147,929	Leo Thorsness
52.5%	1938	Chan Gurney	R	Open seat	146,813	Tom Berry
52.4%	1960	Karl Mundt	R	Incumbent	160,181	George McGovern
52.4%	1990	Larry Pressler	R	Incumbent	135,682	Ted Muenster
51.6%	1930	William J. Bulow	D	Challenger	106,317	William H. McMaster
51.6%	1986	Tom Daschle	D	Challenger	152,657	Jim Abdnor
51.3%	1996	Tim Johnson	D	Challenger	166,533	Larry Pressler
50.8%	1956	Francis Case	R	Incumbent	147,621	Kenneth Holum
50.6%	2004	John Thune	R	Challenger	197,848	Tom Daschle
50.4%	2014	Mike Rounds	R	Open seat	140,741	Rick Weiland
50.1%	1962	George McGovern	D	Challenger	127,458	Joe Bottum
50.1%	1920	Peter Norbeck	R	Open seat	92,267	Tom Ayres
49.6%	2002	Tim Johnson	D	Incumbent	167,481	John Thune
48.8%	1936	William J. Bulow	D	Incumbent	141,509	Chan Gurney
48.3%	1914	Edwin S. Johnson	D	Open seat	48,076	Charles H. Burke
44.2%	1924	William H. McMaster	R	Open seat	90,006	U. S. G. Cherry

Winning U.S. Senate candidates, by percentage margin

% Margin	Year	Candidate	Party	Status	Runner-up
100.0%	2010	John Thune	R	Incumbent	unopposed
49.0%	1984	Larry Pressler	R	Incumbent	George Cunningham
43.7%	2016	John Thune	R	Incumbent	Jay Williams
43.5%	2022	John Thune	R	Incumbent	Brian Bengs
33.7%	1978	Larry Pressler	R	Open seat	Don Barnett
32.6%	1966	Karl Mundt	R	Incumbent	Donn H. Wright
32.4%	1992	Tom Daschle	D	Incumbent	Charlene Haar
31.4%	2020	Mike Rounds	R	Incumbent	Dan Ahlers
27.8%	1950	Francis Case	R	Open seat	John A. Engel
27.7%	1944	Chan Gurney	R	Incumbent	George M. Bradshaw
26.2%	1926	Peter Norbeck	R	Incumbent	C. J. Gunderson
26.0%	1920	Peter Norbeck	R	Open seat	Tom Ayres
25.7%	1998	Tom Daschle	D	Incumbent	Ron Schmidt
25.0%	2008	Tim Johnson	D	Incumbent	Joel Dykstra
20.9%	2014	Mike Rounds	R	Open seat	Rick Weiland
18.8%	1980	Jim Abdnor	R	Challenger	George McGovern
18.7%	1948	Karl Mundt	R	Open seat	John A. Engel
17.5%	1942	Harlan J. Bushfield	R	Open seat	Tom Berry
16.1%	1918	Thomas Sterling	R	Incumbent	Orville E. Rinehart
14.6%	1954	Karl Mundt	R	Incumbent	Kenneth Holum
14.1%	1972	Jim Abourezk	D	Open seat	Robert W. Hirsch
13.6%	1968	George McGovern	D	Incumbent	Archie Gubbrud
13.1%	1924	William H. McMaster	R	Open seat	U. S. G. Cherry
9.3%	1932	Peter Norbeck	R	Incumbent	U. S. G. Cherry
7.3%	1990	Larry Pressler	R	Incumbent	Ted Muenster
6.1%	1974	George McGovern	D	Incumbent	Leo Thorsness
5.6%	1938S	Gladys Pyle	R	Open seat	John T. McCullen
4.9%	1938	Chan Gurney	R	Open seat	Tom Berry
4.9%	1960	Karl Mundt	R	Incumbent	George McGovern
3.9%	1914	Edwin S. Johnson	D	Open seat	Charles H. Burke
3.3%	1930	William J. Bulow	D	Challenger	William H. McMaster
3.2%	1986	Tom Daschle	D	Challenger	Jim Abdnor
2.6%	1996	Tim Johnson	D	Challenger	Larry Pressler
2.1%	1936	William J. Bulow	D	Incumbent	Chan Gurney
1.6%	1956	Francis Case	R	Incumbent	Kenneth Holum
1.2%	2004	John Thune	R	Challenger	Tom Daschle
0.2%	1962	George McGovern	D	Challenger	Joe Bottum
0.2%	2002	Tim Johnson	D	Incumbent	John Thune