The1962 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Republican SenatorFrancis H. Case ran for re-election to a third term. He won the Republican primary against Attorney General A. C. Miller, but shortly after the primary, died. The Republican State Central Committee named Lieutenant GovernorJoseph H. Bottum as Case's replacement on the ballot, and GovernorArchie Gubbrud appointed Bottum to fill the vacancy caused by Case's death.[1] In the general election, Bottum was opposed by Democratic nomineeGeorge McGovern, the Director ofFood for Peace and the former U.S. Congressman fromSouth Dakota's 1st congressional district. The contest between Bottum and McGovern was quite close, with McGovern narrowly defeating him for election by just 597 votes, making him the first Democrat to win a Senate election in South Dakota sinceWilliam J. Bulow's win in1936.
Former Lieutenant GovernorJohn F. Lindley announced that he would run for the U.S. Senate, but dropped out of the race when former CongressmanGeorge McGovern, who briefly served in the Kennedy administration as Director ofFood for Peace, announced that he would run.[2] McGovern was the only Democratic candidate to file for the race, and the primary election did not appear on the ballot.[3]
Several weeks after winning the Republican primary, Senator Case died in office. TheRepublican Party of South Dakota named Lieutenant GovernorJoseph H. Bottum as Case's replacement on the ballot, and Governor Gubbrud appointed him as Case's successor.[1]
