1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota

The 1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 8, 1960. Incumbent Republican Senator Karl E. Mundt ran for re-election to his third term. He was challenged by Congressman George McGovern.[1] Both Mundt and McGovern won their respective primaries unopposed and the campaign between the two began. Despite the landslide victory for Vice-President Richard M. Nixon over John F. Kennedy, the race between Mundt and McGovern was quite close. Mundt narrowly won re-election, and McGovern ran for the U.S. Senate again in 1962. He served alongside Mundt for a decade.

1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota

← 1954 November 8, 1960 1966 →
 
Nominee Karl E. Mundt George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 160,181 145,261
Percentage 52.44% 47.56%

County results
Mundt:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
McGovern:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

General election

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Results

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1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Karl E. Mundt (inc.) 160,181 52.44% −4.85%
Democratic George McGovern 145,261 47.56% +4.85%
Majority 14,920 4.88% −9.71%
Turnout 305,442 100.00%
Republican hold

Results by county

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County[3] Karl Earl Mundt
Republican
George Stanley McGovern
Democratic
Margin Total votes cast
# % # % # %
Aurora 1,065 41.81% 1,482 58.19% -417 -16.38% 2,547
Beadle 4,957 49.60% 5,036 50.40% -79 -0.80% 9,993
Bennett 731 51.99% 675 48.01% 56 3.98% 1,406
Bon Homme 2,358 49.31% 2,424 50.69% -66 -1.38% 4,782
Brookings 5,021 57.84% 3,660 42.16% 1,361 15.68% 8,681
Brown 7,299 46.07% 8,545 53.93% -1,246 -7.86% 15,844
Brule 1,051 37.06% 1,785 62.94% -734 -25.88% 2,836
Buffalo 247 39.84% 373 60.16% -126 -20.32% 620
Butte 2,468 64.30% 1,370 35.70% 1,098 28.60% 3,838
Campbell 1,275 75.85% 406 24.15% 869 51.70% 1,681
Charles Mix 2,019 38.86% 3,177 61.14% -1,158 -22.28% 5,196
Clark 1,957 52.79% 1,750 47.21% 207 5.58% 3,707
Clay 2,361 50.96% 2,272 49.04% 89 1.92% 4,633
Codington 4,635 48.73% 4,876 51.27% -241 -2.54% 9,511
Corson 1,262 53.41% 1,101 46.59% 161 6.82% 2,363
Custer 1,415 59.28% 972 40.72% 443 18.56% 2,387
Davison 3,279 40.49% 4,819 59.51% -1,540 -19.02% 8,098
Day 2,230 40.84% 3,231 59.16% -1,001 -18.32% 5,461
Deuel 1,652 53.71% 1,424 46.29% 228 7.42% 3,076
Dewey 1,072 49.29% 1,103 50.71% -31 -1.42% 2,175
Douglas 1,571 61.42% 987 38.58% 584 22.84% 2,558
Edmunds 1,558 46.66% 1,781 53.34% -223 -6.68% 3,339
Fall River 2,454 61.83% 1,515 38.17% 939 23.66% 3,969
Faulk 1,127 49.36% 1,156 50.64% -29 -1.28% 2,283
Grant 2,397 50.35% 2,364 49.65% 33 0.70% 4,761
Gregory 1,690 47.00% 1,906 53.00% -216 -6.00% 3,596
Haakon 942 60.27% 621 39.73% 321 20.54% 1,563
Hamlin 1,869 55.87% 1,476 44.13% 393 11.74% 3,345
Hand 1,692 51.46% 1,596 48.54% 96 2.92% 3,288
Hanson 934 41.90% 1,295 58.10% -361 -16.20% 2,229
Harding 687 65.00% 370 35.00% 317 30.00% 1,057
Hughes 3,043 56.73% 2,321 43.27% 722 13.46% 5,364
Hutchinson 3,206 61.14% 2,038 38.86% 1,168 22.28% 5,244
Hyde 712 48.60% 753 51.40% -41 -2.80% 1,465
Jackson 534 56.39% 413 43.61% 121 12.78% 947
Jerauld 1,030 50.10% 1,026 49.90% 4 0.20% 2,056
Jones 543 50.51% 532 49.49% 11 1.02% 1,075
Kingsbury 2,549 56.10% 1,995 43.90% 554 12.20% 4,544
Lake 3,225 56.56% 2,477 43.44% 748 13.12% 5,702
Lawrence 4,947 65.09% 2,653 34.91% 2,294 30.18% 7,600
Lincoln 3,553 58.43% 2,528 41.57% 1,025 16.86% 6,081
Lyman 1,083 51.87% 1,005 48.13% 78 3.74% 2,088
Marshall 1,515 45.45% 1,818 54.55% -303 -9.10% 3,333
McCook 2,038 49.25% 2,100 50.75% -62 -1.50% 4,138
McPherson 2,125 71.21% 859 28.79% 1,266 42.42% 2,984
Meade 2,659 56.70% 2,031 43.30% 628 13.40% 4,690
Mellette 703 54.71% 582 45.29% 121 9.42% 1,285
Miner 1,207 42.59% 1,627 57.41% -420 -14.82% 2,834
Minnehaha 20,660 54.22% 17,443 45.78% 3,217 8.44% 38,103
Moody 1,889 47.62% 2,078 52.38% -189 -4.76% 3,967
Pennington 10,511 56.88% 7,968 43.12% 2,543 13.76% 18,479
Perkins 1,720 59.33% 1,179 40.67% 541 18.66% 2,899
Potter 1,316 56.60% 1,009 43.40% 307 13.20% 2,325
Roberts 2,608 43.58% 3,377 56.42% -769 -12.84% 5,985
Sanborn 1,139 44.95% 1,395 55.05% -256 -10.10% 2,534
Shannon 645 37.35% 1,082 62.65% -437 -25.30% 1,727
Spink 2,481 46.25% 2,883 53.75% -402 -7.50% 5,364
Stanley 624 44.01% 794 55.99% -170 -11.98% 1,418
Sully 753 56.03% 591 43.97% 162 12.06% 1,344
Todd 889 49.14% 920 50.86% -31 -1.72% 1,809
Tripp 2,203 52.67% 1,980 47.33% 223 5.34% 4,183
Turner 3,538 63.31% 2,050 36.69% 1,488 26.62% 5,588
Union 2,401 49.16% 2,483 50.84% -82 -1.68% 4,884
Walworth 2,158 55.65% 1,720 44.35% 438 11.30% 3,878
Washabaugh 229 48.93% 239 51.07% -10 -2.14% 468
Yankton 3,939 55.01% 3,222 44.99% 717 10.02% 7,161
Ziebach 531 49.49% 542 50.51% -11 -1.02% 1,073
Totals 160,181 52.44% 145,261 47.56% 14,920 4.88% 304,442

References

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  1. ^ "McGovern Seeks Seat in Senate". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, S.D. January 6, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  2. ^ Nelson, Nelson; Heinrich, Chad W., eds. (2005). "Chapter 8: Elections". Legislative Manual: South Dakota, 2005. Pierre, S.D. p. 635.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  3. ^ "Our Campaigns - SD US Senate Race - Nov 08, 1960". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved April 9, 2023.