South Dakota Democratic Senate nominee Julian Beaudion suspended his campaign Tuesday, clearing the way for independent candidate Brian Bengs to emerge as the lone challenger to Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) in November.
Beaudion, a former state trooper, said he was ending his campaign because of a series of personal hardships, including a house fire, financial difficulties, and what he described as threats against his family.
“In recent weeks, my family has faced extraordinary personal challenges,” Beaudion said in a statement. “As many of you know, we experienced a devastating house fire while continuing to navigate significant personal financial hardship.”
He alleged that, after the fire, “an opponent and those associated with the opponent” pressured him to leave the race through “intimidating threats,” adding that protecting his family’s mental and physical safety ultimately drove his decision to step aside.
Beaudion said he would not endorse either candidate.
“Let me be clear, I will not be endorsing or supporting Brian Bengs in this race,” he said. “Likewise, I cannot support Senator Mike Rounds.”
While criticizing Rounds’s tenure in Washington, Beaudion argued South Dakotans “deserve a better choice than the one that remains before them,” adding that although his campaign was ending, “my voice is not.”
Bengs, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, praised Beaudion’s decision and framed the race as a unified effort to defeat the incumbent Republican.
“I commend Julian Beaudion’s patriotic decision to make this a two-person race and put South Dakota first,” Bengs said. “Now South Dakotans who want to vote against Washington’s cost-raising agenda and corruption can come together regardless of party.”
Calling Beaudion “a patriot,” Bengs said both campaigns understood “the most important goal here is retiring Mike Rounds.”
With the race now narrowed to two candidates, Bengs said his campaign would focus on building a coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and independents while continuing to reject corporate PAC money.
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Bengs was the Democratic nominee against Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) in 2022 before launching his current independent bid.
Rounds has represented South Dakota in the Senate since 2015. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump carried the state by nearly 30 percentage points in the 2024 election.