1978Final results

1978 election for South Dakota's 2nd District

Name: 1978 election for South Dakota's 2nd District
Start: 1978-11-07
Location: South Dakota

U.S. House · South Dakota

James Abdnor (R) won with 56.0% of the vote, defeating Robert Samuelson (D) by 12.1 points.

James AbdnorRepublican · winner

56.0%70,780

44.0%55,516

126,296 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

Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET