Voter Choice

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U.S. Senate: who gets your vote?

What this role does

U.S. senators work with the House on U.S. laws and spending. They also vote on the president's picks for federal judges.

These votes help set U.S. taxes, pay for public services and choose who serves in federal courts.

  • National laws
  • Federal spending
  • Federal judge nominations

Read about them. Then tap a button to pick one. You can change it later.

Data last updated: Oct 13, 2026 (federal ballot roster). Verify approaching elections with your state election office.

Our reading of the duties, not an official requirement. Doesn't rank or recommend anyone.

Office role sources

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Candidate
Brian L. Bengs

Brian L. Bengs

Running for U.S. Senate · South Dakota

NationalIndependent

In the role now
Mike Rounds

Mike Rounds

U.S. Senate · South Dakota

NationalRepublican

Brian L. BengsCandidateMike RoundsCurrent rep

Job fit

Brian L. Bengs

Other work

  • a Navy enlistee 1
  • retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel. 1
  • Air Force attorney 1

Mike Rounds

Offices held

  • On January 6th, 2015, Senator Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. 2
  • From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. 2

Education

  • He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University. 2

Top issues

Ranked by what Americans say matters most (Pew, 2026)

Brian L. Bengs

  • Health care costs
    Says the for-profit healthcare system is 'rigged for maximum profit' and pledges a 5-stage plan to 'reduce costs while improving the affordability and accessibility' of care for South Dakotans. 3
  • Cost of living & jobs
    Platform pledges to make life more affordable through 'fair wages, targeted subsidies, and tax credits' so 'people working full-time can live with dignity,' restructuring the economy for regular people. 3
  • Guns
    Campaign platform page states, 'As a gun owner, I favor reasonable gun safety measures,' grouped under his 'keep government out of your business' plank. 3

No public stance found on: Crime & safety

More on their website →

Mike Rounds

No stated positions on file yet.

How they voted on top issues

Brian L. Bengs

Nothing found for this candidate yet.

Mike Rounds

  • Climate & energy → More oil, gas and coal, fewer climate rules (11 of 11 votes) 4
  • Abortion and reproductive care → Restricting access (3 of 3 votes) 4
  • Fair trade and prices at the store → Tariffs to protect American jobs (3 of 3 votes) 4

Who pays them

Brian L. Bengs

Where the campaign money came from5

small donorslarge donors
small donors$474Klarge donors$301K$780K raised
$474,1535Small individual donors
$301,2435Large individual donors

Mike Rounds

Where the campaign money came from6

small donorslarge donorscompaniesindustry associationsother politiciansOther kinds of donors
small donors$37Klarge donors$1.3Mcompanies$793Kindustryassociations$368Kotherpoliticians$186KOther kinds ofdonors$252K$2.8M raised
$36,9756Small individual donors
$1,291,2166Large individual donors

Checks

Brian L. Bengs

No voting record to check yet

Mike Rounds

Checks run: missed votes · stock trades

🚨 Stock trades on file: 9 since 2015. 7

About red flags

These are Voter Choice's editorial choices, not a finding about any person. We flag: stock trading while in office, absences, money's influence in politics, and reported misuse of power or public funds. State and local items may come from local news, which can lean partisan. Take with a grain of salt. The judgment is yours.

Based on current data. May change in a future update.

Sources

  1. Brian Bengs for U.S. Senate (saved web-tool text capture; retrieved 2026-10-20) · checked 2026-10-20 used in: Experience
  2. About Mike (saved web-tool text capture; retrieved 2026-10-20) · checked 2026-10-20 used in: Experience
  3. bengsforsouthdakota.com used in: Top issues
  4. Congress.gov roll-call votes · 2022-11-04 to 2026-11-04 used in: How they voted on top issues
  5. FEC · 2026 cycle used in: Money
  6. FEC · 2026 cycle used in: Money
  7. House and Senate periodic transaction reports · disclosed through 2019-04-09 used in: Checks