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1986 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election

South Dakota · 2 candidates · See every 1986 Governor race

Who won the 1986 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election?

George Mickelson won the 1986 South Dakota Gubernatorial Election. George Mickelson received 152,543 popular votes (51.8%). The main challenger was Lars Herseth (48.2%).

See the full head-to-head between Mickelson and Herseth

Mickelson +3.6 pts · won by 10,645 votes
George MickelsonRepublicanWINNER51.8%
152,543 votes
Lars HersethDemocratic48.2%
141,898 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.