# 2012 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota

* This article is part of a series aboutKristi Noem
Early life
Early career
Electoral history
U.S. Representative from South Dakota
Tenure
Black Hills Cemetery Act
Elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
Governor South Dakota
Tenure
Elections
2018
2022
Coronavirus response
2022 winter storm
Personal life
Writings
No Going Back :
vte :
Elections in South Dakota :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1889
1891
1894
1897
1901
1903
1903 sp
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1938
1938 sp
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
U.S. House elections
1889
1890
1891
AL sp
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
AL sp
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
AL sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2010
2014
2018
2020
2022
Gubernatorial elections
1889
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2018
2022
Senate elections
2020
2022
House of Representatives elections
2020
2022 :
Ballot measures
2006
Amendment C
2008
Measure 9
Measure 10
2020
Amendment A
Measure 26
2024
Amendment E
Amendment G
Amendment H :
Sioux Falls
City elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Mayoral elections
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Rapid City
City elections
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
2022 :
Pierre
City elections
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
2022 :
vte :
The 2012 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the single U.S. Representative from South Dakota's At-large congressional district, comprising the entire state of South Dakota. The election coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election.

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Kristi Noem, incumbent U.S. Representative

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Matt Varilek, staffer for Senator Tim Johnson

#### Eliminated in primary

* Jeff Barth, Minnehaha County Commissioner

#### Declined

* Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, former U.S. Representative

### Primary results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Matt Varilek | 21,759 | 71.9 |
| | Democratic | Jeff Barth | 8,494 | 28.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 30,253 | 100.0 |

## General election
### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kristi Noem (R) | Matt Varilek (D) | Undecided |
| Nielson Brothers Polling | October 31 – November 4, 2012 | 633 | ± 3.90% | 54% | 41% | 5% |
| Nielson Brothers Polling | October 28–31, 2012 | 671 | ± 3.78% | 50% | 44% | 5% |
| Nielson Brothers Polling | August 29 – September 6, 2012 | 509 | ± 4.34% | 51% | 42% | 7% |
| Nielson Brothers Polling | July 19–23, 2012 | 541 | ± 4.21% | 47% | 46% | 7% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kristi Noem (R) | Stephanie H. Sandlin (D) | Undecided |
| Public Policy Polling | January 28–30, 2011 | 1,045 | ± 3.0% | 45% | 46% | 8% |

### Endorsements

Organizations
* Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "Emerging Races" Program

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| The Cook Political Report | Likely R | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg | Safe R | November 2, 2012 |
| Roll Call | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely R | November 5, 2012 |
| NY Times | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| RCP | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |
| The Hill | Safe R | November 4, 2012 |

### Results

South Dakota's at-large congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Kristi Noem (incumbent) | 207,640 | 57.45% | +9.33% |
| | Democratic | Matt Varilek | 153,789 | 42.55% | −3.34% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 361,429 | 100.00 | N/A |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Beadle (Largest city: Huron)
* Bon Homme (Largest city: Springfield)
* Brule (Largest city: Chamberlain)
* Corson (Largest city: McLaughlin)
* Deuel (Largest city: Clear Lake)
* Grant (Largest city: Milbank)
* Jerauld (Largest city: Wessington Springs)
* Kingsbury (Largest city: De Smet)
* Lake (Largest city: Madison)
* Miner (Largest city: Howard)
* Minnehaha (Largest city: Sioux Falls)
* Moody (Largest city: Flandreau)
* Sanborn (Largest city: Woonsocket)
* Brookings (largest city: Brookings)
* Aurora (largest city: Plankinton)
* Bennett (largest city: Martin)
* Clark (largest city: Clark)
* Spink (largest city: Redfield)
* Mellette (Largest city: White River)