Beaudion Out in South Dakota Senate Race. American Muckrakers Called for His Withdrawal Months Ago.
The Democratic nominee suspended his campaign Tuesday night, leaving independent Brian Bengs one-on-one against Republican incumbent Mike Rounds.
Julian Beaudion, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in South Dakota, suspended his campaign Tuesday night, leaving a one-on-one contest between independent Brian Bengs and Republican incumbent Mike Rounds.
American Muckrakers publicly called on Beaudion to withdraw earlier this year, arguing a split challenger field guaranteed Rounds re-election.
Beaudion had $3,078 in cash on hand as of this week, per FEC filings, against $51,405 for Bengs. Bengs, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, welcomed the decision and said he would seek Beaudion's input going forward. Beaudion said he is endorsing neither candidate.
South Dakota is now the third state this cycle, after Nebraska and Idaho, where the Democratic nominee stepped aside to clear a one-on-one path for an independent challenger against a Republican senator.
Sources
American Muckrakers called on Julian Beaudion to withdraw from this race on June 26, 2026. That release is linked above and remains available in full.