PIERRE, S.D. – Independent U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs has secured enough signatures to appear on the general election ballot in November, the South Dakota Secretary of State's office has confirmed.
Bengs, a U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force veteran based in Hot Springs, was the Democratic nominee for senator in the 2022 election cycle, where he lost to incumbent U.S. Sen. John Thune by a nearly 45-point margin.
He will meet Democratic nominee Julian Beaudoin and either incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds or his GOP primary challenger, Justin McNeal.
Rounds had a 66% to 18% lead over McNeal in the latest poll by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center of Democracy at the University of South Dakota.
Bengs, who is originally from Iowa, moved to Aberdeen in 2016 to teach at Northern State University before moving to West River to become a park ranger in the Black Hills.
On his campaign website, Bengs said he was motivated to run for Senate again after what he called the Trump administration's "purge" of the National Park Service via the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, commonly known as DOGE.
"I’m officially on the ballot, and this campaign is full steam ahead. South Dakota, you’ll be seeing some exciting news from us very soon," Bengs said on his Facebook page.
In a press release, campaign spokesperson Clara Bronikowski said the more than 4,500 signatures submitted and high validation rate of 94% meant Bengs should be taken as a serious candidate heading into the fall.
"This achievement is a testament to the strength of this movement,” Bronikowski said. “People across South Dakota are stepping up to demand accountability, transparency, and leadership that puts them first."
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org.
