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County results McGovern: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Gubbrud: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in South Dakota |
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The 1968 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 5, 1968. Incumbent Democratic Senator George McGovern ran for re-election to a second term. He was challenged by former Governor Archie M. Gubbrud, who was persuaded to enter the race by the South Dakota Republican establishment.[1] McGovern defeated Gubbrud by a wide margin, even as Richard Nixon was defeating Hubert Humphrey in the state's presidential election in a landslide.
Both McGovern and Gubbrud were unopposed in their respective primaries.[2] Gubbrud and incumbent Governor Nils Boe were seen as likely Republican candidates, but on March 22, Boe announced that he would not run.[3] Shortly thereafter, a grassroots group of Republicans supportive of Gubbrud, named "Archie's Archers," started a campaign to persuade him to run, and received promises from other potential Republican candidates that they wouldn't run if Gubbrud did.[4] On April 7, Gubbrud announced that he would run for the Senate,[5] and subsequently received endorsements from prominent Republican figures, including former Vice-President Richard Nixon.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George McGovern (incumbent) | 158,961 | 56.79% | +6.67% | |
| Republican | Archie M. Gubbrud | 120,951 | 43.21% | −6.67% | |
| Majority | 38,010 | 13.58% | +13.34% | ||
| Turnout | 279,912 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
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