GOP gains Senate seat in South Dakota

Mike Rounds (R) triumphed in a three-way race for the seat of retiring Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), giving Republicans another pickup in the upper chamber.

His opponents Rick Weiland (D) and Larry Pressler (I) were projected to split the opposition vote, and multiple networks called the race moments after most polls closed at 9 p.m.

{mosads}After Johnson announced he would not seek a fourth term, Rounds, the popular former governor, entered the race, increasing Republican chances of taking control of the Senate.

Weiland worked for former Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), and Pressler formerly held the Senate seat before Johnson defeated him in 1996. 

Rounds also had a challenger from the right, former state Sen. Gordon Howie, making this a closely watched race. 

The GOP needs to net six seats to win the Senate. Several vulnerable Democrats are seeking reelection in conservative states, such as Louisiana, Alaska and Arkansas. Because some races might not have a clear winner, states could be forced to hold a runoff, possibly dragging out the uncertainty for months as to which party will control the chamber.

Rounds’s victory Tuesday helps Republicans get one step closer to Senate control.