# 2010 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 2010 United States House of Representatives election in South Dakota took place on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Voters selected a representative for their single At-Large district, who run on a statewide ballot. On June 8, 2010, the Republicans nominated Kristi Noem, Assistant Majority Leader of the South Dakota House of Representatives and the Democrats nominated the incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. B. Thomas Marking ran as an Independent candidate. In the general election, Noem defeated Herseth Sandlin, winning 48.1 percent of the vote to 45.9 percent for Herseth Sandlin.

## Democratic Primary
### Nominee

* Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, incumbent

### Announced

* Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, incumbent

### Potential

* Steve Hildebrand, deputy national campaign director of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign

## Republican Primary
### Nominee

* Kristi Noem, Assistant Majority Leader of the South Dakota House of Representatives

### Announced

* Blake Curd, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives
* Chris Nelson, Secretary of State of South Dakota
* Kristi Noem, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives

### Withdrew

* Thad Wasson, technician

### Declined

* Shantel Krebs, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives

### Primary results

2010 Republican primary election – At Large Congressional District of South Dakota :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kristi Noem | 34,527 | 42.1 |
| | Republican | Chris Nelson | 28,380 | 34.6 |
| | Republican | Blake Curd | 19,134 | 23.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 82,041 | 100.0 |

## Campaign
### Issues

During the general election campaign, Republicans criticized Herseth Sandlin's voting record. They also criticized her lobbyist husband's list of clients, noting that the companies had interests in legislation that would come before Congress. Noem pointed out that the National Association of Broadcasters paid Herseth Sandlin's husband, Max Sandlin, a lobbyist and former Congressman, $320,000 during the years 2008 and 2009 to lobby on their behalf, including a bill co-sponsored by Herseth Sandlin called the Local Radio Freedom Act. Herseth Sandlin responded that Noem's example was "laughable". The Rapid City Journal editorial board stated that Herseth Sandlin should not be laughing at a legitimate concern. Roll Call called the Republican effort an attempt "to stoke anti-Beltway emotions". Herseth Sandlin's campaign responded that she did not allow family members to lobby her or her staff. According to a Washington attorney, Herseth Sandlin's policy seemed compliant with House ethics rules that had been tightened in 2007, though Republicans charged Herseth Sandlin was violating the spirit of the conflict interest rules. "The Sunlight Foundation, Public Citizen and other watchdog groups are highly critical of Herseth Sandlin and other Members whose relatives work Congressional corridors", according to Roll Call. The groups have said the House ethics rules should be comparable to the Senate's rules and should ban all lobbying "under the Dome" by relatives of Members.

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) | Kristi Noem (R) |
| Rasmussen Reports | February 23, 2010 | 49% | 34% |
| Rasmussen Reports | March 25, 2010 | 46% | 35% |
| Rasmussen Reports | April 26, 2010 | 50% | 35% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 27, 2010 | 46% | 43% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 14, 2010 | 41% | 53% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 6, 2010 | 44% | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 3, 2010 | 42% | 51% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 8, 2010 | 47% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 4, 2010 | 44% | 47% |
| Rasmussen Reports | October 20, 2010 | 44% | 49% |
| Nielson Brothers Polling | October 20–22, 2010 | 42% | 40% |
On October 24, 2010, Nate Silver of The New York Times' FiveThirtyEight.com blog predicted that there was a 69.9% chance that Noem would defeat Sandlin.

### Fundraising

The race saw each candidate spend over $1.75 million and was the first in Herseth Sandlin's career where she was outspent.
Funding from political parties and interest groups totaled $2,651,621 for the race, with 78% benefiting Noem. Groups supporting Herseth-Sandlin included the DCCC and CUNA. Noem was supported by the American Action Network, the NRCC and the American Future Fund.

## Results

South Dakota's at-large congressional district election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kristi Noem | 153,703 | 48.12% |
| | Democratic | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (incumbent) | 146,589 | 45.89% |
| | Independent | B. Thomas Marking | 19,134 | 5.99% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 319,426 | 100.00% |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### By county

Source
| | Kristi Noem Republican | Kristi Noem Republican | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin Democrat | Stephanie Herseth Sandlin Democrat | B. Thomas Marking Independent | B. Thomas Marking Independent | Margin | Margin | Total |
| County | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes |
| Aurora | 593 | 42.54% | 707 | 50.72% | 94 | 6.74% | -114 | -8.18% | 1,394 |
| Beadle | 2,941 | 42.62% | 3,541 | 51.32% | 418 | 6.06% | -600 | -8.70% | 6,900 |
| Bennett | 499 | 47.16% | 502 | 47.45% | 57 | 5.39% | -3 | -0.28% | 1,058 |
| Bon Homme | 1,265 | 44.64% | 1,334 | 47.07% | 235 | 8.29% | -69 | -2.43% | 2,834 |
| Brookings | 4,147 | 37.19% | 6,195 | 55.56% | 808 | 7.25% | -2,048 | -18.37% | 11,150 |
| Brown | 5,712 | 39.46% | 8,100 | 55.95% | 665 | 4.59% | -2,388 | -16.50% | 14,477 |
| Brule | 971 | 45.20% | 1,017 | 47.35% | 160 | 7.45% | -46 | -2.14% | 2,148 |
| Buffalo | 91 | 20.09% | 351 | 77.48% | 11 | 2.43% | -260 | -57.40% | 453 |
| Butte | 2,357 | 63.43% | 1,128 | 30.36% | 231 | 6.22% | 1,229 | 33.07% | 3,716 |
| Campbell | 452 | 45.22% | 301 | 38.10% | 37 | 4.68% | 151 | 19.11% | 790 |
| Charles Mix | 1,710 | 48.69% | 1,620 | 46.13% | 182 | 5.18% | 90 | 2.56% | 3,512 |
| Clark | 773 | 45.85% | 787 | 46.68% | 126 | 7.47% | -14 | -0.83% | 1,686 |
| Clay | 1,642 | 35.01% | 2,802 | 59.74% | 246 | 5.25% | -1,160 | -24.73% | 4,690 |
| Codington | 4,983 | 48.16% | 4,684 | 45.27% | 679 | 6.56% | 299 | 2.89% | 10,346 |
| Corson | 362 | 41.51% | 450 | 51.61% | 60 | 6.88% | -88 | -10.09% | 872 |
| Custer | 2,378 | 59.91% | 1,278 | 32.20% | 313 | 7.89% | 1,100 | 27.71% | 3,969 |
| Davison | 3,467 | 47.64% | 3,437 | 47.22% | 374 | 5.14% | 30 | 0.41% | 7,278 |
| Day | 937 | 33.97% | 1,668 | 60.48% | 153 | 5.55% | -731 | -26.50% | 2,758 |
| Deuel | 877 | 42.86% | 999 | 48.83% | 170 | 8.31% | -122 | -5.96% | 2,046 |
| Dewey | 442 | 28.05% | 1,070 | 67.89% | 64 | 4.06% | -628 | -39.85% | 1,576 |
| Douglas | 1,083 | 65.12% | 489 | 29.40% | 91 | 5.47% | 594 | 35.72% | 1,663 |
| Edmunds | 838 | 46.69% | 834 | 46.46% | 123 | 6.85% | 4 | 0.22% | 1,795 |
| Fall River | 1,824 | 58.54% | 1,056 | 33.89% | 236 | 7.57% | 768 | 24.65% | 3,116 |
| Faulk | 553 | 50.87% | 466 | 42.87% | 68 | 6.26% | 87 | 8.00% | 1,087 |
| Grant | 1,597 | 45.63% | 1,638 | 46.80% | 265 | 7.57% | -41 | -1.17% | 3,500 |
| Gregory | 1,129 | 54.99% | 785 | 38.24% | 139 | 6.77% | 344 | 16.76% | 2,053 |
| Haakon | 718 | 69.37% | 254 | 24.54% | 63 | 6.09% | 464 | 44.83% | 1,035 |
| Hamlin | 1,463 | 55.29% | 963 | 36.39% | 220 | 8.31% | 500 | 18.90% | 2,646 |
| Hand | 906 | 49.24% | 804 | 43.70% | 130 | 7.07% | 102 | 5.54% | 1,840 |
| Hanson | 1,048 | 60.09% | 594 | 34.06% | 102 | 5.85% | 454 | 26.03% | 1,744 |
| Harding | 490 | 73.03% | 127 | 18.93% | 54 | 8.05% | 363 | 54.10% | 671 |
| Hughes | 3,849 | 49.95% | 3,432 | 44.54% | 425 | 5.52% | 417 | 5.41% | 7,706 |
| Hutchinson | 1,822 | 56.92% | 1,176 | 36.74% | 203 | 6.34% | 646 | 20.18% | 3,201 |
| Hyde | 412 | 57.22% | 277 | 38.47% | 31 | 4.31% | 135 | 18.75% | 720 |
| Jackson | 534 | 55.51% | 369 | 38.36% | 59 | 6.13% | 165 | 17.15% | 962 |
| Jerauld | 461 | 40.76% | 581 | 51.37% | 89 | 7.87% | -120 | -10.61% | 1,131 |
| Jones | 377 | 63.90% | 180 | 30.51% | 33 | 5.59% | 197 | 33.39% | 590 |
| Kingsbury | 1,044 | 42.18% | 1,229 | 49.66% | 202 | 8.16% | -185 | -7.47% | 2,475 |
| Lake | 2,414 | 46.39% | 2,458 | 47.23% | 332 | 6.38% | -44 | -0.85% | 5,204 |
| Lawrence | 5,431 | 53.26% | 4,019 | 39.41% | 747 | 7.33% | 1,412 | 13.85% | 10,197 |
| Lincoln | 9,440 | 52.44% | 7,699 | 42.77% | 862 | 4.79% | 1,741 | 9.67% | 18,001 |
| Lyman | 677 | 48.36% | 604 | 43.14% | 119 | 8.50% | 73 | 5.21% | 1,400 |
| Marshall | 660 | 35.64% | 1,107 | 59.77% | 85 | 4.59% | -447 | -24.14% | 1,852 |
| McCook | 1,216 | 48.41% | 1,126 | 44.82% | 170 | 6.77% | 90 | 3.58% | 2,512 |
| McPherson | 692 | 57.33% | 447 | 37.03% | 68 | 5.63% | 245 | 20.30% | 1,207 |
| Meade | 5,741 | 61.10% | 3,049 | 32.45% | 606 | 6.45% | 2,692 | 28.65% | 9,396 |
| Mellette | 320 | 42.22% | 373 | 49.21% | 65 | 8.58% | -53 | -6.99% | 758 |
| Miner | 458 | 41.08% | 581 | 52.11% | 76 | 6.82% | -123 | -11.03% | 1,115 |
| Minnehaha | 28,968 | 44.50% | 32,430 | 49.82% | 3,698 | 5.68% | -3,462 | -5.32% | 65,096 |
| Moody | 1,111 | 40.80% | 1,433 | 57.18% | 201 | 2.02% | -503 | -16.39% | 2,745 |
| Pennington | 21,489 | 57.94% | 13,597 | 36.66% | 2,002 | 5.40% | 7,892 | 21.28% | 37,088 |
| Perkins | 859 | 62.38% | 418 | 30.36% | 100 | 7.26% | 441 | 32.03% | 1,377 |
| Potter | 745 | 56.35% | 518 | 39.18% | 59 | 4.46% | 227 | 17.17% | 1,322 |
| Roberts | 1,507 | 39.12% | 2,077 | 53.92% | 268 | 6.96% | -570 | -14.80% | 3,852 |
| Sanborn | 514 | 44.16% | 578 | 49.66% | 72 | 6.19% | -64 | -5.50% | 1,164 |
| Shannon | 191 | 7.63% | 2,260 | 90.29% | 52 | 2.08% | -2,069 | -82.66% | 2,503 |
| Spink | 1,201 | 40.85% | 1,564 | 53.20% | 175 | 5.95% | -363 | -12.35% | 2,940 |
| Stanley | 726 | 50.88% | 601 | 42.12% | 100 | 7.01% | 125 | 8.76% | 1,427 |
| Sully | 427 | 57.24% | 270 | 36.19% | 49 | 6.57% | 157 | 21.05% | 746 |
| Todd | 421 | 21.03% | 1,500 | 74.93% | 81 | 4.05% | -1,079 | -53.90% | 2,002 |
| Tripp | 1,390 | 37.52% | 949 | 59.07% | 169 | 3.41% | 441 | 17.58% | 2,508 |
| Treasure | 1,875 | 49.30% | 1,676 | 44.07% | 252 | 6.63% | 199 | 5.23% | 3,803 |
| Union | 3,356 | 55.60% | 2,408 | 39.89% | 272 | 4.51% | 948 | 15.71% | 6,036 |
| Walworth | 1,229 | 54.89% | 871 | 38.90% | 139 | 6.21% | 358 | 15.99% | 2,239 |
| Yankton | 3,653 | 42.18% | 4,336 | 50.07% | 671 | 7.75% | -683 | -7.89% | 8,660 |
| Ziebach | 245 | 35.61% | 415 | 60.32% | 28 | 4.07% | -170 | -24.71% | 688 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Douglas (largest city: Armour)
* Union (Largest city: Dakota Dunes)
* Hutchinson (largest city: Parkston)
* Lincoln (largest city: Sioux Falls)
* Turner (largest city: Parker)
* Butte (largest city: Belle Fourche)
* Perkins (largest city: Belle Fourche)
* Tripp (largest city: Winner)
* Fall River (largest city: Hot Springs)
* Lawrence (largest city: Spearfish)
* Meade (largest city: Sturgis)
* Pennington (largest city: Rapid City)
* Gregory (largest city: Gregory)
* Stanley (largest city: Fort Peirre)
* Sully (largest city: Onida)
* Hughes (largest city: Pierre)
* Hyde (largest city: Highmore)
* McPherson (largest city: Eureka)
* Potter (largest city: Gettysburg)
* Walworth (largest city: Mobridge)
* Campbell (largest city: Herreid)
* Hanson (largest city: Alexandria)
* Codington (largest city: Watertown)
* Davison (largest city: Mitchell)
* Hamlin (largest city: Estelline)
* McCook (largest city: Salem)
* Charles Mix (Largest city: Wagner)
* Edmunds (largest city: Ipswich)
* Faulk (largest city: Faulkton)
* Hand (largest city: Miller)
* Jackson (largest city: Kadoka)
* Lyman (largest city: Lower Brule)
* Custer (largest city: Custer)
* Douglas (largest city: Armour)
* Haakon (largest city: Philip)
* Harding (largest city: Buffalo)
* Jones (largest city: Murdo)