Julian Beaudion, a Sioux Falls businessman and former state trooper, speaks at the downtown Sioux Falls library on April 7, 2025. Beaudion announced Tuesday that he's withdrawing from the race for U.S. Senate. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – The South Dakota Democratic Party will not select a replacement candidate for the U.S. Senate nominee who ended his campaign Tuesday, a party official said.
That statement came Wednesday from state Democratic Party Deputy Director Joe Zweifel in response to South Dakota Searchlight questions. The deadline to select a new nominee is next week.
Julian Beaudion withdrew his candidacy Tuesday with a written statement mentioning a house fire, a personal financial hardship and “intimidating threats to drop out of this race.”
The independent candidate on the ballot, Brian Bengs, responded with a statement saying “nobody has been attacked or threatened.” Bengs has received support from some Democrats who’ve said he has a better chance to beat Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, who is seeking reelection. Zweifel said the state Democratic Party will not endorse Bengs.
Bengs is a former Democrat who was the party’s U.S. Senate nominee in 2022, when he received 26% of the votes in an unsuccessful campaign to unseat Republican Sen. John Thune.
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