Some SD Trump voters say he won’t be president

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Although a poll for KELOLAND News said 62% of likely South Dakota voters will vote for former president Donald Trump, not all of them expect him to be elected president. The poll also shows that the percentage of voters who expect Harris to win is higher than the percentage of voters who plan to vote for her.

A poll of South Dakota voters conducted by Emerson College for KELOLAND Media Group and The Hill used a sample of 825 likely voters. It was conducted from Oct. 19-22 and has a margin of error of 3.3%.

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The poll shows that 62% plan to vote for Trump and 35% plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. However, 59% of the voters expect Trump to win while 39% expect Harris to win.

The poll covered five of the seven measures on the 2024 election ballot as well as some national races.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson would get slightly more than double the votes of his Democrat challenger Sheryl Johnson. Sixty-four percent of the voters supported Dusty Johnson while 28% supported Sheryl Johnson. The undecided vote is at 9%.

Forty-two percent of the voters said the economy is the most important issue facing South Dakota. Coming in second was abortion access at 11%.

The poll did not differentiate between the state’s economy and the national economy. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has often touted the positive condition of the state’s economy in her news releases and national appearances and in social media posts. She has cited the growth in the state’s median household income, growth in general wages and inflation.

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The state’s median household income did grow to $81,740 in 2023 from $69,850 in 2022 but the income is still under 2021, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve in St. Louis (FRED). The 2022 median household income dropped significantly from $82,750 in 2021 to $69,850 in 2022.

The Governor’s approval rating has increased to 52% since a 2023 Emerson College poll which showed her approval rating at 43%. In the 2024 poll, 40% did not approve of the job she is doing.

More than half (51%) of the voters in the 18 to 29 range disapprove of Noem’s performance. She was rated highest by those 50 to 59 at 57% and 70 and older at 56%. Men also approved of her job performance, 56%, than women at 48%. The less formal education a voter had, the higher the approval rating. Voters with a high school degree had a 63% approval rate while those with a post-graduate education had a 45% disapproval rate.

To read the full survey results, including cross tabs on the questions and responses, use this link from Emerson College.