Brian Bengs
October 19, 2026 · Newsletter
Hard Work Pays Off: A New Independent Poll Has us in the Lead
We have two weeks left until Election Day. Every day spent out in the cold weather in January or the sweltering June sun, and the thousands of miles we’ve traveled to meet voters across the state is coming together in these last crucial weeks. We’re going to keep at it until we run through the finish line on November 3.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a quick update on the campaign. Let’s do it!
Fundraising reports for the previous quarter came out last week. Comparing my fundraising to my opponent’s, it’s almost two-to-one. I raised just shy of $900,000, and he raised about $476,000. The difference between us is even greater when you look at how we raised our money, not just the dollar amount.
Me: Over 20,000 individual contributions, averaging just $36.
Rounds: Less than 500 contributions, averaging over $1,100.
Me: 2,500 contributions from South Dakotans, totaling over $220,000.
Rounds: Only 26 South Dakotan donors, totaling $23,532.
I didn’t take a single cent from corporate PACs. My opponent took over $200,000, making up 43% of his raising. My opponent took more money from AIPAC than he got from South Dakotans. It’s clear that he isn’t concerned with what South Dakotans think, want, or need. He thinks he deserves his seat because of a letter next to his name. We’re going to prove him wrong.
Chip in here to support the campaign!
The polling is also getting stronger every day. When we did our first poll back in June of last year, I was way behind. It made sense because no one knew who I was, and they hadn’t yet gotten the chance to hear what I’m all about.
With the ads we’ve been running non-stop since September, that’s changed. Before, 90% of the state didn’t know who I was. Thanks to the thousands of supporters with their $10, $20, and $30 contributions, that’s now only 33%.
Recent polling has me consistently matching my opponent - when voters are presented with just our names. Once folks hear more about me and my anti-corruption background, they overwhelmingly lean my way. That’s why keeping our ads on the air is so important: voters see my stances to get Big Money out of politics, weed out corruption in government, fight for affordability, and make the government actually work for regular people.
Don’t just take it from me. Sure, the fundraising numbers, the polling, and what I’m hearing on the ground every day is encouraging, but you have to take outsider viewpoints into consideration. Multiple Senate race-raters have now shifted the U.S. Senate race in South Dakota away from “Safe R.”
We are sprinting through the tape. We need to pay for our final week’s ad buy and a statewide town hall series to meet voters, and we need your help. Gas ain’t cheap, but ads in South Dakota are! If you can chip in $35 today, it will ensure that we keep getting the message out to voters all across the state. Thank you.
Chip in to help support the campaign
This is the first time this has happened for this seat in decades, which means that election analysts around the country are seeing the potential for us to win this race. Here are just a few of the major election analysts that are putting South Dakota in play this year:
Race to The WH: Likely Republican → Lean Republican
Polling USA: Likely Republican → Lean Republican
Vote Hub: Safe Republican → Likely Republican
Split Ticket: Safe Republican → Likely Republican
50+1: Safe Republican → Likely Republican
Poliwave: Safe Republican → Likely Republican
Economist: Safe Republican → Likely Republican
My opponent is getting scared. He won’t do any public meetings, and he has his staff trolling me in the comments on my social media (important note: his Senate staff, so your tax dollars are paying for it).
Despite running for his third term in office and having spent 30 years in South Dakota politics, this is his first time running a real race. South Dakotans aren’t falling for the same old party-line tricks. Not when gas prices keep climbing, healthcare in this state gets more expensive and harder to access, and AI data center interests weasel into our state and local politics.
They’ve had enough of the status quo. They’re thinking Independently, like me.
Thank you for reading.
Brian L. Bengs, Lt Col (Ret)
Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate
This race is important. South Dakotans are struggling because our Senators won’t stand up to party bosses or corporate donors, but I will. We need to keep our ads on the air to show South Dakotans that they have a different option this November, and I’m asking for your help to make it happen. If you can chip in $35 today, it will be instrumental in spreading my background and message far and wide. Thank you.