Brian Bengs
Independent · Challenger · U.S. Senate (SD) · 2026
Independent U.S. Senate candidate and military veteran running on a populist platform to challenge the two-party establishment.
Before politics: Retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, former criminal justice/law professor at Northern State University, and former Wind Cave National Park ranger.
Their shot at this seat
Brian Bengs faces a steep path to victory as the state's heavy Republican tilt and the incumbent's massive six-to-one fundraising advantage create a nearly insurmountable barrier.
Who's behind them
Brian Bengs has secured enough individual donor funding and organizational capacity to be a visible challenger, but he lacks the institutional support necessary to mount a primary threat.
What could go wrong
The contradiction between his stated opposition to specific fundraising platforms and his actual reliance on them leaves Bengs vulnerable to charges of political hypocrisy.
Why they fit this seat
Bengs’s profile is a direct response to voters dissatisfied with traditional party alignment, though he must overcome an entrenched base that typically favors the incumbent party.
Key contrasts
advocates progressive taxation and breaking up corporate monopolies
Supports tax cuts, balanced budgets, and agricultural subsidies.
Who this moves: Working-class voters concerned about affordability and corporate influence.
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| Issue | Brian Bengs | Mike Rounds | Who this moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy and taxes | Supports advocates progressive taxation and breaking up corporate monopolies | Supports Supports tax cuts, balanced budgets, and agricultural subsidies. | Working-class voters concerned about affordability and corporate influence. |
| Healthcare | Supports proposes public option and lowering Medicare eligibility age | Opposes Supports veteran health initiatives; opposes ACA expansion. | Voters seeking lower healthcare costs and expanded access. |
| Abortion and social issues | Supports supports abortion access and codifying Roe v. Wade | Supports Pro-life; supports federal bans and life-at-conception legislation. | Voters prioritizing reproductive rights in a conservative-leaning state. |
| Democracy and elections | Supports prioritizes campaign finance reform and anti-corruption measures | Mixed Defended 2020 election results; declined recent public debates. | Voters disillusioned with political parties and special interest influence. |
| Immigration and border | Supports combines border security with expanded legal immigration pathways | Supports Supports increased border security and ICE funding. | Voters seeking balanced immigration reform for economic benefits. |
| Foreign policy and defense | Supports advocates for congressional war authorization and avoiding unnecessary intervention | Supports Supports military funding, deterrence, and B-21 program. | Voters skeptical of executive overreach in military conflicts. |
Who has more standing to be believed
| Credibility axis | Brian Bengs | Mike Rounds |
|---|---|---|
Insider knowledge | Never held elected office; retired military and former professor. | Multiple terms in federal office, serving on Senate committees. |
Message discipline | Multiple party registration changes documented; registered as Democrat in 2022, now Independent. | No documented reversal, contradiction, or retraction of a stated position on record. |
Moral legitimacy | Endorsed by party organization; no censure on record. | Endorsed by party organization and traditionally opposed-leaning groups like NFIB. |
Scandal resilience | One documented allegation of aggressive behavior; no formal finding. | One confirmed formal event: violation of STOCK Act financial disclosure provisions. |
Pressure absorption | Most recent race was a contested general election loss. | Won contested general elections in a cycle where party held seat. |
Never held elected office; retired military and former professor.
Multiple terms in federal office, serving on Senate committees.
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Network
Endorsements and money spent against
Mobilization
Signals against
No information — no opposition-only outside-spend committees recorded — absence of data, not absence of oppositionThe case they'd make
Brian Bengs, a military veteran, is appealing to disillusioned voters who are frustrated with the two-party establishment and government corruption. His platform prioritizes economic reform, healthcare access, and reproductive rights to build a coalition among working-class individuals and those concerned about special interest influence. The campaign was catalyzed by deep-seated concerns regarding political instability and the events of January 6, 2021.