United States Senate election in South Dakota, 1996

The South Dakota senate election of 1996 was between Rep. Tim Johnson and incumbent Larry Pressler. On Election night Tim Johnson narrowly defeated Pressler by 9,000 votes.

General election

Pressler and Johnson swapped leads in their own polls all year. The two candidates also swapped charges. Pressler said that Johnson was too liberal for the state, while Johnson contended that Pressler was beholden to the out-of-state interests that have fattened his campaign coffers.

Seeking a fourth term, Pressler noted his seniority; his close ties to his longtime Senate colleague, Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole; and, most emphatically, the power he yielded as the chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Yet the massive changes in telecommunications law that he shepherded through the Senate since becoming chairman last year proved to be a mixed blessing politically for Pressler.

Political action committees related to industries affected by the legislation were generous donors to his campaign, and Pressler assured South Dakota voters that, over the long run, the bill will lower prices and provide jobs. But both telephone and cable television rates have gone up in South Dakota this year, leading Pressler to pull an ad stating that phone rates were going down.

Despite this apparently negative short-term effect, Pressler said that Johnson's votes against the "telecom" bill, along with his opposition to the GOP's seven-year balanced-budget plan and changes in farm policy, proved Johnson votes differently than his moderate rhetoric suggests.

"You say one thing in South Dakota and vote liberal all the time in Washington," intoned an announcer in a Pressler TV ad. In another ad, which Pressler called "the essence of my campaign," the senator himself called Johnson a liberal.

Johnson countered that Pressler's vote for the deficit- reducing budget-reconciliation package was a blow against the interests of farmers and seniors, two groups that helped fuel Pressler's victories in the past. Johnson also warned that farmers will be more vulnerable in years of poor yield under the new farm law. The so-called Freedom to Farm law received mixed reviews from major agriculture groups in the state. The results were Johnson 51% to 48%.Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = Tim Johnson
votes = 166,533
percentage = 51.32%
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Larry Pressler (incumbent)
votes = 157,954
percentage = 48.68%
change = -Election box majority
votes = 8,579
percentage = 2.64%
change = Election box turnout
votes = 324,487
percentage = 29%
change =