Sen. Mike Rounds wins reelection in South Dakota

GOP Sen. Mike Rounds is projected to win reelection in South Dakota’s Senate race, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Rounds was expected to defeat his opponent, Democrat-turned-Independent Brian Bengs, in the reliably Republican state. Bengs was not well-funded, and a previous Democratic challenger withdrew in August .

The incumbent, 72, has served in the Senate since 2015 after a stint as the Mount Rushmore State’s governor from 2003 to 2011.

The senator is a moderate Republican who has not always backed President Trump, but he carried his endorsement this year.

In the Senate, he sits on the Appropriations, Armed Services, Banking, Indian Affairs and Intelligence committees, often putting him in the center of negotiations over foreign policy and government funding. He also chairs the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus and a related bipartisan working group focused on AI policy.

Rounds was a key driver of the bipartisan housing package that passed both chambers earlier this year and has worked on provisions in the annual defense policy bill to support Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

DDHQ gave the incumbent a 95 percent chance of winning reelection heading into Election Day.