1978Flipped from RepublicanFinal results
1978 election for South Dakota's 1st District
U.S. House · South Dakota
Thomas Daschle (D) won with 50.1% of the vote, defeating Leo K. Thorsness (R) by 0.1 points, a seat Republicans won last time.
Thomas DaschleDemocrat · winner
50.1%64,683
Leo K. ThorsnessRepublican
49.9%64,544
129,227 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1978
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET