With November 8, 2022, fast approaching, South Dakotans will be called upon to vote on who’ll fill one of the 35 soon-to-be-vacant seats in the U.S. Senate this midterm election year. All projections point to a major showdown between the Incumbent Senator John Thune of the Republican Party, and challenger Brian Bengs of the Democratic Party.

Brian Bengs is a former member of the Iowa National Guard who became the official nominee of the Democratic Party for the U.S. Senator representing the state following the cancellation of the party’s primary election. Born to a middle-class family that emphasized the merits of traditional midwestern values to him, Bengs bases much of his campaign on these beliefs. Should he be given the mandate of the people as senator, his 10-point policy stance involves strengthening the Affordable Care Act, lowering taxes for the working class while increasing taxes for the rich, improving agricultural efforts in the state, and reducing what is currently spent on National Defense. He also plans to eliminate stonewalling in the government and progressively take on climate change.

John Thune is a former three-term congressman of the South Dakota at-large congressional district. He’s currently on his third term as the state’s senior United States senator. As the current minority whip in the U.S. Senate, he’s the number 2 Republican senator in the chamber. So far, he has successfully sponsored several bills affecting industries like commerce, fuel choice, and food and energy security. Given a fourth term in office, Thune intends to continue his legacy of protecting gun rights, enhancing the agricultural landscape of the state, supporting technology and innovation as well as working towards economic growth for all.

With the entire nation watching, South Dakota has to decide, who would make a better representative to the Senate, Democrat Brian Bengs or Republican John Thune?