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5h ago

South Dakota Democrat Drops Out, Leaving Independent to Face Sen. Mike Rounds

The move raises scrutiny of threats cited by the nominee, the independent’s recent Democratic past, and a large fundraising gap favoring the Republican incumbent.

Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, during the Hill & Valley forum at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wed., April 30, 2025.

Overview

  • Julian Beaudion announced he was ending his Senate campaign on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, and said he will not endorse either Brian Bengs or Sen. Mike Rounds.
  • Beaudion said he withdrew after he and his family faced what he called intimidating threats, but he has not provided detailed public evidence about those threats.
  • His exit clears the way for independent Brian Bengs to be the primary non-GOP challenger to incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Rounds in the November general election.
  • Bengs ran as a Democrat in 2022 and lost by a wide margin, and his campaign reported about $51,000 on hand as of June 30 compared with roughly $2.7 million for Rounds.
  • The resignation follows a pattern in several Republican-leaning states where Democrats left races with independents on the ballot, concentrating pressure on independents and altering general-election strategy.