Non-partisan data for South Dakota, drawn from public records and hundreds of news stories.
Measured from public government data. Not from opinions or headlines.
Among the 3 worst states.
Worse here than in 35 other states.
Worse here than in 33 other states.
Worse here than in 38 other states.
Worse here than in 23 other states.
We compare what the data says with what the news covers.
The data says ai displacement risk is a bigger problem in South Dakota than the news coverage suggests.
The news talks about mental health & addiction crisis in South Dakota far more than the data says it is a problem here.
The news talks about housing affordability in South Dakota far more than the data says it is a problem here.
Ranked by Leadership Score — how news coverage describes their leadership. 100 is the best score any leader in U.S. history would earn.
36
Leadership Score (WATT)
33
Leadership Score (WATT)
| Measure | Mike Rounds | Brian Bengs |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership Score | 36.1 / 100 | 33.2 / 100 |
| Credit for strengths in the news | +54.2 | +41.9 |
| Deduction for criticism in the news | −18.1 | −8.7 |
| News stories analysed | 385 | 53 |
| Record Score | 4.7 / 10 | No voting record — has not served in Congress |
Everything above, with the numbers behind it.
Ranked by government data alone, ignoring headlines and politics. 0 means the problem does not exist. 100 means it is as bad as it gets. The dotted line is the average across all 50 states.