1974 South Dakota gubernatorial election
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County results Kneip: 50–60% 60–70% Olson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in South Dakota |
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The 1974 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect a Governor of South Dakota. This election was the first in South Dakota to elect the governor for a four-year term, after it was allowed by a constitutional amendment passed in 1972. Democratic nominee and Governor Richard F. Kneip was re-elected, defeating Republican nominee John E. Olson. As of 2024, this is the last time that a Democrat was elected Governor of South Dakota, marking the start of the longest Republican winning streak in the country for a state's governorship, as well as the longest gubernatorial winning streak by a single party.