1940 South Dakota gubernatorial election

← 1938 November 5, 1940 1942 →

Nominee Harlan J. Bushfield Lewis W. Bicknell Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 167,686 136,428 Percentage 55.14% 44.86%

County results Bushfield:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Bicknell:      50–60%      60–70%

Governor of South Dakota before election Harlan J. Bushfield Republican Elected Governor of South Dakota Harlan J. Bushfield Republican

Elections in South Dakota
Federal government Presidential elections 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2004 2008 2016 2020 Republican 2008 2016 U.S. Senate elections 1889 1891 1894 1897 1901 1903 1903 sp 1907 1909 1913 1914 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1938 1938 sp 1942 1944 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 U.S. House elections 1889 1890 1891 AL sp 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 AL sp 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 AL sp 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
State government General elections 2010 2014 2018 2020 2022 Gubernatorial elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Secretary of State elections 2022 Attorney General elections 2018 2022 Senate elections 2020 2022 House of Representatives elections 2020 2022
Ballot measures 2006 Amendment C 2008 Measure 9 Measure 10 2020 Amendment A Measure 26

The 1940 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Republican Governor Harlan J. Bushfield sought re-election to a second term. After winning the Republican primary by a large margin, he faced Democrat Lewis W. Bicknell, former Day County State's Attorney, in the general election. Though Bushfield underperformed Republican presidential nominee Wendell Willkie, who won the state in a landslide, he nonetheless defeated Bicknell by a wide margin to easily win re-election.

Democratic primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

• Lewis W. Bicknell, former Day County State's Attorney,^[1] former Chairman of the State Department of Public Welfare,^[2] 1932 Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate^[3]
• Almer O. Steensland, former State Representative from Charles Mix County^[4]

Results[edit]

Republican primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

• Harlan J. Bushfield, incumbent Governor
• Adolph N. Graff, former Mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota,^[6] former State Representative from Minnehaha County^[7]

Results[edit]

General election[edit]

Results[edit]

References[edit]