1966 United States Senate election in South Dakota

* * *

| <- 1960 | November 8, 1966 | 1972 ->

|
|

|  |  |

|
|

Nominee  | Karl Mundt | Donn H. Wright  |
Party  | Republican | Democratic
Popular vote  | 150,517 | 76,563
Percentage  | 66.28% | 33.72%

* * *

County results
Mundt: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
Wright: 50–60%

* * *

| U.S. senator before election

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

| Elected U.S. Senator

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

|

Elections in South Dakota

Federal government

|  Presidential elections

* 1892
* 1896
* 1900
* 1904
* 1908
* 1912
* 1916
* 1920
* 1924
* 1928
* 1932
* 1936
* 1940
* 1944
* 1948
* 1952
* 1956
* 1960
* 1964
* 1968
* 1972
* 1976
* 1980
* 1984
* 1988
* 1992
* 1996
* 2000
* 2004
* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

Presidential primaries

Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024

Republican
2008
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections

* 1889
* 1891
* 1894
* 1897
* 1901
* 1903
* 1903 sp
* 1907
* 1909
* 1913
* 1914
* 1918
* 1920
* 1924
* 1926
* 1930
* 1932
* 1936
* 1938
* 1938 sp
* 1942
* 1944
* 1948
* 1950
* 1954
* 1956
* 1960
* 1962
* 1966
* 1968
* 1972
* 1974
* 1978
* 1980
* 1984
* 1986
* 1990
* 1992
* 1996
* 1998
* 2002
* 2004
* 2008
* 2010
* 2014
* 2016
* 2020
* 2022
* 2026

U.S. House elections

* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* AL sp
* 1892
* 1894
* 1896
* 1898
* 1900
* 1902
* 1904
* 1906
* 1908
* AL sp
* 1910
* 1912
* 1914
* 1916
* 1918
* 1920
* 1922
* 1924
* 1926
* 1928
* 1930
* 1932
* 1934
* 1936
* 1938
* 1940
* 1942
* 1944
* 1946
* 1948
* 1950
* 1952
* 1954
* 1956
* 1958
* 1960
* 1962
* 1964
* 1966
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1976
* 1978
* 1980
* 1982
* 1984
* 1986
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* AL sp
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014
* 2016
* 2018
* 2020
* 2022

State government

|  General elections

* 2010
* 2014
* 2018
* 2020
* 2022

Gubernatorial elections

* 1889
* 1890
* 1892
* 1894
* 1896
* 1898
* 1900
* 1902
* 1904
* 1906
* 1908
* 1910
* 1912
* 1914
* 1916
* 1918
* 1920
* 1922
* 1924
* 1926
* 1928
* 1930
* 1932
* 1934
* 1936
* 1938
* 1940
* 1942
* 1944
* 1946
* 1948
* 1950
* 1952
* 1954
* 1956
* 1958
* 1960
* 1962
* 1964
* 1966
* 1968
* 1970
* 1972
* 1974
* 1978
* 1982
* 1986
* 1990
* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022

Secretary of State elections

* 2022

Attorney General elections

* 2018
* 2022

Senate elections

* 2020
* 2022

House of Representatives elections

* 2020
* 2022

Ballot measures

|  2006

Amendment C
2008

Measure 9

Measure 10
2020

Amendment A

Measure 26
2024

Amendment E

Amendment G

Amendment H

Sioux Falls

|  City elections

* 2010
* 2012
* 2014
* 2016
* 2018
* 2020
* 2022
* 2024

Mayoral elections

* 1974
* 1978
* 1982
* 1986
* 1990
* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2010
* 2014
* 2018
* 2022

Rapid City

|  City elections

* 2020
* 2022
* 2024
* 2026

Mayoral elections

* 2022

Pierre

|  City elections

* 2020
* 2022
* 2024
* 2026

Mayoral elections

* 2022

* v
* t
* e

The 1966 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 8, 1966. Incumbent Republican Senator Karl E. Mundt ran for re-election to his fourth term. He was challenged in the Republican primary by a John Birch Society member, but easily turned away the challenge. In the general election, he faced State Representative Donn Wright, the Democratic nominee. Owing in large part to the Republican landslide taking place nationwide, Mundt defeated Wright by an unprecedented margin.

South Dakota would not elect another Senator to a fourth term until John Thune in 2022, it was dubbed the "Mundt curse".[1]

## Democratic primary

[edit]

State Representative Donn Wright from Aurora County announced that he would run against Mundt on April 18, 1966, the only Democratic candidate to do so.[2] As Wright was the only candidate to file for the nomination, he won the primary unopposed and the race was removed from the primary election ballot.[3]

## Republican primary

[edit]

### Candidates

[edit]

* Karl E. Mundt, incumbent U.S. Senator
* Richard B. Murphy, attorney,[4] John Birch Society member[5]

### Results

[edit]

Republican primary[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|
|

| Republican | Karl E. Mundt (inc.)  | 66,758  | 82.06%
| Republican | Richard B. Murphy  | 14,593  | 17.94%
Total votes  | 81,351  | 100.00%

## General election

[edit]

### Results

[edit]

1966 United States Senate election in South Dakota[6] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Republican | Karl E. Mundt (inc.)  | 150,517  | 66.28%  | +13.84%
| Democratic | Donn H. Wright  | 76,653  | 33.72%  | −13.84%
Majority  | 73,954  | 32.57%  | +27.68%
Turnout | 227,080  | 100.00%  |
| Republican hold

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sen. John Thune broke the Mundt curse. Now, can he become the Senate GOP top dog?". subscribe.argusleader.com. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
2. ^ "Donn Wright Is Demo Candidate For U. S. Senate". Mitchell Daily Republic. Mitchell, S.D. April 18, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
3. ^ "Demos Have 2 Contests For Precinct Committee Posts". Daily Plainsman. Huron, S.D. May 11, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
4. ^ "Murphy To Seek Nomination For U. S. Senate In Primary". Rapid City Journal. Rapid City, S.D. September 8, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
5. ^ Trandahl, Ed (January 15, 1966). "About Town". Mitchell Daily Republic. Mitchell, S.D. p. 3. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
6. ^ a b Nelson, Nelson; Heinrich, Chad W., eds. (2005). "Chapter 8: Elections". Legislative Manual: South Dakota, 2005. Pierre, S.D. p. 627.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

* v
* t
* e

(1964 <-)  1966 United States elections (-> 1968)

U.S.
Senate|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arkansas
* Colorado
* Delaware
* Georgia
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Montana
* Nebraska
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* North Carolina
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Carolina (special)
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Virginia
* Virginia (special)
* West Virginia
* Wyoming

U.S.
House|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arkansas
* Arizona
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

State
governors|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Lt. Gov
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Lt. Gov
* Nebraska
* Lt. Gov
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Mexico
* New York
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Vermont
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

State
legislatures|

* Arizona
* Arizona House
* Arizona Senate
* Iowa Senate

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template