Republican Mike Rounds wins reelection to U.S. Senate from South Dakota

Republican incumbent Mike Rounds won election Wednesday to the U.S. Senate representing South Dakota, defeating independent candidate Brian Bengs. Rounds' victory secures him a third Senate term. He was backed by President Donald Trump. A veteran politician, Rounds is a former two-term governor who also once served as a state legislator. As an independent, Bengs had promised while campaigning that he wouldn’t caucus with either party if elected. Bengs previously ran for the Senate as a Democrat in 2022, but lost overwhelmingly to incumbent John Thune, the current Senate majority leader. The Associated Press declared Rounds the winner at 12:02 a.m. EST.