A Race Born from Tragedy
The stage for this political drama was set by a tragic event. In August 2003, sitting Republican Congressman Bill Janklow, a towering figure in state politics, was involved in a vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist. His subsequent conviction for second-degree manslaughter and resignation from Congress in January 2004 triggered a special election to fill South Dakota's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The sudden vacancy created a rare, high-stakes political scramble in a state accustomed to more predictable electoral outcomes.
Two Contenders Enter the Ring
The Democratic party quickly nominated Stephanie Herseth, an attorney from a well-known South Dakota political family. Her grandfather, Ralph Herseth, had been governor, and her father was
a long-time state legislator. Having run a credible, though unsuccessful, campaign against Janklow in 2002, Herseth entered the race with significant name recognition. The Republicans, following a party convention, chose Larry Diedrich, a state senator and farmer, as their standard-bearer. The contest was immediately framed as a major national bellwether, with both parties pouring millions into advertising, hoping to score a symbolic victory ahead of the November presidential election.
An Election Night Down to the Wire
The special election was held on June 1, 2004. As the results trickled in from across the state's 66 counties, a nail-biting picture emerged. What began as a comfortable lead for Herseth steadily evaporated as the night wore on. Diedrich, initially an underdog, proved to have powerful support in the state's rural and conservative strongholds. By the time the final precincts reported, the margin was razor-thin. Out of more than 261,000 ballots cast, the two candidates were separated by just a handful of votes, sending campaign staffers and election officials into a frantic scramble to verify every last count. The state held its breath, waiting for the official word.
A Margin for the History Books
After all the votes were officially tallied, the final result was staggering. Stephanie Herseth had defeated Larry Diedrich by a mere 3,005 votes. The final count was 132,420 for Herseth to 129,415 for Diedrich. While not the single-digit margins seen in some local or even other federal races nationally, the 50.57% to 49.43% split represented an incredibly narrow victory in a statewide contest, especially given Herseth's initial polling lead. The close result highlighted a deep political divide but also the effectiveness of Diedrich's late-campaign surge. With the margin just over one percent, it was close enough to feel like a tie but just wide enough to avoid an automatic recount under state law.
The Legacy of 2004
Herseth's victory was historic, making her the first woman to represent South Dakota in the U.S. House. The tight race, however, was a preview of things to come. The two faced each other again in the regularly scheduled general election that November. Herseth won the rematch by a slightly more comfortable, though still competitive, margin of 53.4%. The 2004 special election remains a powerful lesson in American politics. It underscored the volatility of special elections, the influence of national political currents on local races, and the enduring power of deep family roots in state politics. More than anything, it served as a vivid, real-world demonstration that in a statewide election, the collective decision of a few thousand voters can change the course of history.
