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 County results Kneip: 50–60% 60–70% Olson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in South Dakota | ||
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The1974 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect aGovernor of South Dakota. This election was the first in South Dakota to elect the governor for a four-year term, after it was allowed by a constitutional amendment passed in 1972.[1]Democratic nominee and GovernorRichard F. Kneip was re-elected, defeatingRepublican nominee John E. Olson. As of 2024[update], this is the last time that a Democrat was elected Governor of South Dakota, marking the start of the longest Republican winning streak in the country for a state's governorship, as well as the longest gubernatorial winning streak by a single party.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard F. Kneip (Incumbent) | 45,932 | 66.19 | |
| Democratic | Bill Dougherty | 23,467 | 33.81 | |
| Total votes | 69,399 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John E. Olson | 49,973 | 55.57 | |
| Republican | Ronald F. Williamson | 25,509 | 28.37 | |
| Republican | Oscar W. Hagen | 14,444 | 16.06 | |
| Total votes | 89,926 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Richard F. Kneip (inc.) | 149,151 | 53.61 | |
| Republican | John E. Olson | 129,077 | 46.39 | |
| Total votes | 278,228 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
