Mike Rounds has raised the most in this race — $3,810,748, ahead of Brian Bengs at $1,855,763. Mike Rounds has taken the most PAC and party-committee money: $1,696,600. On AIPAC: Mike Rounds has taken $163,264 in AIPAC-linked contributions.
Mike Rounds, a Republican, currently holds this Senate seat and is running for re-election. It’s considered a safe Republican seat. Mike Rounds, a Republican, has taken $163,264 in donations linked to AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. Brian Bengs, an independent, shows no AIPAC-linked donations in available records.
Key issues in South Dakota
Major issues facing South Dakota, based on 2025–2026 reporting. Compare them with what each candidate says they focus on below.
Cost of living pressures — Residents name the economy their top concern as housing, childcare and healthcare costs strain family budgets.
Voting rules changes — A new law requires proof of citizenship for state and local races, and a lawsuit challenges federal-only voter designations.
Data center opposition — A majority of voters oppose data centers near their communities, and new rules make developers cover their power costs.
Education funding — Candidates clash over school funding levels, free lunches, preschool access and property-tax relief tied to education.
Rural healthcare access — Rural services are shrinking and nursing homes close as low Medicaid reimbursement rates squeeze providers.
Housing affordability — Housing costs rank among voters' top worries, with rising rents and prices squeezing workers and young families.
FEC campaign finance data through Oct 14, 2026. Campaign dollars, by source.
Mike Rounds R
Brian Bengs I
Raised
$3.8M
$1.9M
Individuals
$1.6M42%
$1.8M97%
PACs & parties
$1.7M45%
$43K2%
Self-funded
$0
$0
Other
$529K14%
$6K0%
AIPAC-linked*
$163K
—
Outside spending†
—
—
* AIPAC-linked money is already counted in the rows above — it flags the pro-Israel share, not extra money.
† Independent spending on ads for or against a candidate. It never goes to their campaign.
“Individuals” covers both small-dollar (under $200) and large donors.
Who are the biggest donors?
Every donor ranked by how much they gave, from the candidate’s own FEC filings — individuals, PACs, and party committees all in one list. Expand a candidate to see theirs, then tap any name to learn more about the donor.
Why are so many gifts exactly $10,000? That’s the legal maximum a PAC can give one candidate for the whole cycle — $5,000 for the primary plus $5,000 for the general — so many PACs give the max. Individuals can give up to $3,500 per election.
Mike Rounds921 donors
FINANCIAL POSITION
Campaign raised$3.8M
Campaign spent$4.4M
Cash on hand$1.3M
FEC 2026 through 10/14/2026
CANDIDATE-CONTROLLED MONEY
Individuals42%
PACs / committees45%
Self-funding0%
Share of campaign receipts. FEC 2026.
ROUTED CONTRIBUTIONS
No 2026 conduit activity detected
FEC filings show no earmarked contributions via conduits this cycle. Career AIPAC-linked total (above) may reflect prior cycles. How conduits work →
Party committee$62K
Trade association PAC$48K
Individual$21K
Membership PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Trade association PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Trade association PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Membership PAC$10K
PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Trade association PAC$10K
Leadership PAC$10K
Labor PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$10K
Trade association PAC$10K
Corporate PAC$9K
Individual$9K
Corporate PAC$9K
Corporate PAC$9K
Corporate PAC$9K
Trade association PAC$9K
PAC$8K
Corporate PAC$8K
PAC$8K
Corporate PAC$8K
Corporate PAC$8K
Showing the 50 biggest of 921 donors. The other 871 gave $2.3M combined.
Plus $43K from small donors giving under $200 each — those aren’t itemized by name.
These figures come from the candidate’s own itemized FEC reports (2026 cycle, through the coverage date above), with amendments applied and refunds netted. Joint fundraising transfers are left out of the ranking: they’re pass-throughs, and the individual donations behind them are listed above. Bank interest, vendor refunds, and other non-donation receipts are excluded. Donor names are as reported — the same person can appear twice if their name was recorded differently. Independent spending on ads is never included here — see the Outside spending column.
Common questions
Who has raised more money in the South Dakota Senate race?
Mike Rounds has raised more: $3,810,748, ahead of Brian Bengs at $1,855,763.
Who takes PAC money in the South Dakota Senate race?
Mike Rounds has taken the most money from PACs and party committees: $1,696,600. Brian Bengs has taken $43,000.
Who takes AIPAC money in the South Dakota Senate race?
Mike Rounds has taken $163,264 in AIPAC-linked contributions.
When is the South Dakota Senate election?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Related news
October 21, 2026
Retire Career Politicians discloses its donors — and $1.3M in new October attack ads
The anti-incumbent super PAC's October Monthly report names its September funders: $100,000 from individual Brennan Bilberry plus $1M in committee transfers (Western Futures Fund $350K, Government That Works PAC $250K, Opportunity Action Fund $200K, Fight For Nebraska PAC $81K, Way Back PAC $50K). The same filing cycle shows about $1.32M in new October independent expenditures: $365K opposing Pete Ricketts (NE-Sen), $174K opposing Mike Rounds (SD-Sen), and ~$780K in the NE-1 Flood/Backemeyer fight. An FEC request for more information on two earlier donations remains unanswered.
Retire Career Politicians drops another $174K against Rounds in SD-Sen — cycle spending now $1.57M
The Democratic-aligned hybrid PAC filed a new 24-hour report on Oct 18 for $173,991 in TV and digital ads opposing Sen. Mike Rounds — its second identical anti-Rounds buy this month, pushing cycle independent expenditures to about $1.57 million. The roughly $1 million behind its September ad blitz is still undisclosed: the October Monthly donor report, due tonight, had not been filed as of this evening. Separately, the FEC flagged the committee's $200,000 and $60,500 August donations on Oct 14 as apparently exceeding contribution limits and asked it to move them to its non-contribution account.
Anti-incumbent PAC adds $174K attacking Flood, Ricketts, Rounds; ~$1M of its September money still hidden
Retire Career Politicians, a Democratic-aligned hybrid PAC run by compliance pro Christopher Koob (MBA Consulting Group; ex-DSCC/DNC), added $173,991 in new independent expenditures opposing Mike Flood (NE-1), Pete Ricketts (NE-Sen), and Mike Rounds (SD-Sen), while backing Democrat Chris Backemeyer (NE-1). Its disclosed funding runs through other PACs — mainly $200K from Way Back PAC — but roughly $1M behind the current ad blitz is undisclosed until the October Monthly report due Oct 20; the PAC's September report also drew an FEC information request on Oct 14.
