 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
 County results Mickelson: 50–60% 60–70% Herseth: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Elections in South Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| ||
The1986 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1986 to elect theGovernor of South Dakota. IncumbentBill Janklow was term-limited, so the field for the new governor was open.Republican nomineeGeorge S. Mickelson was elected, defeatingDemocratic nominee Ralph Lars Herseth. Until2018, this would be the closest Gubernatorial election in South Dakota.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George S. Mickelson | 40,979 | 35.30 | |
| Republican | Clint Roberts | 37,250 | 32.08 | |
| Republican | Lowell Hansen | 21,884 | 18.85 | |
| Republican | Alice Kundert | 15,985 | 13.77 | |
| Total votes | 116,098 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ralph Lars Herseth | 30,801 | 42.81 | |
| Democratic | Richard F. Kneip | 27,811 | 38.66 | |
| Democratic | Kenneth D. Stofferahn | 13,332 | 18.53 | |
| Total votes | 71,944 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George S. Mickelson | 152,543 | 51.81 | |
| Democratic | Ralph Lars Herseth | 141,898 | 48.19 | |
| Total votes | 294,441 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
.jpeg)
