South Dakota

Congressional Race

Senatorial Race

Population (1994): 721,000 (up 3.6% from 1990), 0.3% of U.S. total

Voting-age population: 522,000; 1994 turnout, 60%

Median age: 32.5 years

Median household income: $29,733 ($2,531 below U.S. median)

Unemployment: 3.0% (2.6% below U.S. average, March 1996)

Last presidential election:

Clinton (D): 37%

Bush (R): 41%

Perot (I): 22%

Congressional delegation: Two Democrats, one Republican

The mystifying landscape, sprinkled with mountains, desert canyons and grassland, supports South Dakota's second-largest industry: tourism. Despite the beauty of places like Mount Rushmore, it's hard to disguise the poverty of Indians living on reservations in a state enjoying an economic upturn. Though the state has only one congressional district, it is the nation's second most populous one. South Dakotans usually vote for the Republican presidential candidate, but give Democrats a fair chance of making it to Congress. An interesting anomaly, noted by the Rapid City Journal: all four congressional candidates have Internet home pages, but only about 5% of South Dakotans are wired.

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