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1978 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election

South Dakota · 2 candidates · See every 1978 Governor race

Who won the 1978 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election?

Bill Janklow won the 1978 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election. Bill Janklow received 147,116 popular votes (56.6%). The main challenger was Roger D. McKellips (43.4%).

See the full head-to-head between Janklow and McKellips

Janklow +13.2 pts · won by 34,437 votes
Bill JanklowRepublicanWINNER56.6%
147,116 votes
Roger D. McKellipsDemocratic43.4%
112,679 votes
Popular-vote totals for governor elections are compiled from official state results (via Wikipedia); Louisiana shows the decisive round of its jungle primary.

Data last verified July 28, 2026.