1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota

1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota

← 1954 November 8, 1960 1966 →
 
Nominee Karl E. Mundt George McGovern
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 160,181 145,261
Percentage 52.44% 47.56%

County results
Mundt:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
McGovern:      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Karl E. Mundt
Republican

The 1960 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 8, 1960. Incumbent Republican Senator Karl E. Mundt ran for re-election to his third term. He was challenged by Congressman George McGovern.[1] Both Mundt and McGovern won their respective primaries unopposed and the campaign between the two began. Despite the landslide victory for Vice-President Richard M. Nixon over John F. Kennedy, the race between Mundt and McGovern was quite close. Mundt narrowly won re-election, and McGovern ran for the U.S. Senate again in 1962. He served alongside Mundt for a decade.

  1. ^ "McGovern Seeks Seat in Senate". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, S.D. January 6, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved June 10, 2021.