The 1938 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1938. Incumbent Republican Governor

Leslie Jensen Leslie Jensen (September 15, 1892 – December 14, 1964) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 15th Governor of South Dakota. Early life and military career Leslie Jensen was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota. In 1916 ...

declined to seek re-election and instead unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate.

Harlan J. Bushfield Harlan John Bushfield (August 6, 1882September 27, 1948) was an American politician from South Dakota. He served as the 16th governor of South Dakota and as a United States senator. A native of Iowa, Bushfield was raised in Miller, South Dakot ...

, the former Chairman of the

South Dakota Republican Party The South Dakota Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in South Dakota. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling South Dakota's at-large U.S. House seat, both U.S. Senate seats, the governorship, and has s ...

, won the Republican primary to succeed Jensen. In the general election, he faced Democratic nominee Oscar Fosheim, a State Representative from Miner County, in the general election. Bushfield defeated Fosheim by a relatively close margin, winning his first term as governor.

Democratic Primary

Candidates

* Oscar Fosheim, State Representative from Miner County * Mancel W. Peterson, State Senator from Day County, former State Senate President

Results

Republican Primary

Candidates

, former Chairman of the

, former

Hand County Hand County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,145. Its county seat is Miller. History Hand County was named for George A. Hand, territorial secretary. It was created in 1873 by the Dak ...

State's Attorney * Blaine Simons, State Senator from

Minnehaha County Minnehaha County is a county on the eastern border of the state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 197,214, making it the state's most populous county. It contains over 20% of the state's population. Its county seat is S ...

Results

General election

Results

References

{{1938 United States elections

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

Gubernatorial A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political_regions, political region, ranking under the Head of State, head of state and in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of ...

November 1938 events