The structure of the Government of South Dakota is based on that of the federal government, with three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. The structure of the state government is laid out in the Constitution of South Dakota, the highest law in the state. The constitution may be amended either by a majority vote of both houses of the legislature, or by voter initiative.
The South Dakota State Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of South Dakota. It is a bicameral legislative body, consisting of the South Dakota Senate, which has 35 members, and the South Dakota House of Representatives, which has 70 members. The two houses are similar in most respects; the Senate alone holds the right to confirm gubernatorial appointments to certain offices. In addition, the Senate votes by roll call vote, whereas the larger house uses an electronic voting system.
Elizabeth Marty May is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 27 since January 12, 2021. Defeated by Democrat Peri Pourier in 2018, she later ran for another seat and succeeded Oglala Republican Steve Livermont.
Tim G. Rounds is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 24 since January 11, 2013. Rounds previously served non-consecutively from January 2003 until January 2011 in the District 24 seat, but took a break from the House due to the state's term limits.
Hal G. Wick was an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 12 from January 11, 2011 to January 13, 2015. Wick previously served several non-consecutive terms from January 1977 until January 1981 in District 11, from January 1995 until January 1999 and from January 2001 until January 2009 in the District 12 seat, but ran for South Dakota Senate in 2008 due to the state's term limits.
Dean Albert Wink is an American politician and former football player who played parts of three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Philadelphia Eagles from 1966 to 1968. A Republican, he represented District 29 in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016. Wink was the Speaker pro tempore of the House from January 11, 2011 to January 10, 2015 and the Speaker of the House from January 10, 2015 to January 10, 2017.
Brock L. Greenfield is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate. Greenfield was consecutively a member of the House for District 6 from January 2009 until January 11, 2013, and a member of the South Dakota Senate for District 6 from January 2001 until January 2009. Greenfield has represented District 2 since January 10, 2015.
James 'Jim' W. Bolin is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 16 since January 2009. Bolin was the mayor of Canton, South Dakota from 2007 until 2008.
Betty Olson is a rancher, EMT, and substitute schoolteacher. She is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate in District 28 from 2015 to 2017. Before that, she was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives in District 28B from 2007 to 2015.
David Ellwood Lust was an American politician who served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 34 from January 2007 until January 2015. and again from September 2016 till January 2019.
Jeffrey 'Jeff' Rodrick Monroe is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing District 24 since January 8, 2013. Monroe served non-consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from January 1995 until January 2003 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 24 seat.
Mark K. Kirkeby is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing District 35 since January 8, 2013. Kirkeby served consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from January 2007 until January 8, 2013 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 35 seat.
Phil Jensen is an American politician from Pennington County, South Dakota who is a current member of the South Dakota House of Representatives and has served as a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing District 33 from 2013 to 2021. Jensen served consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from January 2009 until January 8, 2013 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 33 seat. He supplements his legislative income as a cookware dealer. He is widely regarded as a far-right politician and was considered by some to be South Dakota's most conservative lawmaker. He most recently in a Rapid City school board meeting publicly called out a member of the community after she shared that several members of her family are suffering from cancer and told her "I am not responsible for your family's health." in regards to her concerns related to school board decisions about health policy for Covid 19. (video)
Richard Blake Curd is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing District 12 since June 6, 2013. Curd served non-consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from January 2009 until January 11, 2011 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 12 seat. He was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives for South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the 2010 election. Curd was appointed to the South Dakota Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Republican Senator J. Mark Johnston.
Larry J. Tidemann is a former American politician and a former Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing District 7 from 2011-2019. Tidemann served consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from January 2005 until January 11, 2011 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 7 seat.
Deb M. Peters is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate from January 11, 2011 to January 2019. Peters served consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from January 2005 until January 11, 2011 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 9 seat.
Phyllis M. Heineman is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing District 13 since January 11, 2011. Heineman served non-consecutively in the South Dakota Legislature from her appointment by Governor of South Dakota Bill Janklow November 2, 1999 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Dana John Windhorst until January 2009 in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 13 seat.
Al Novstrup is business owner, an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 3 since January 2015.
Jean M. Hunhoff is an American politician and a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate since 2021. She has also served in the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 18 from 2001 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2021. She previously served in the South Dakota Senate from 2007 to 2015. Hunhoff was the mayor of Yankton from 1995 until 1997.
The 1930 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1930. Incumbent Democratic Governor William J. Bulow declined to run for re-election to a third term, instead opting to successfully run for the U.S. Senate. The Republican nomination was hard-fought and the primary was crowded; because no candidate received 35% of the vote, state law required that the nomination be decided at a state party convention. There, former State Senator Warren Green, the last-place finisher in the primary, defeated Secretary of State Gladys Pyle, the plurality winner. In the general election, Green faced D. A. McCullough, the state's Rural Credits Commissioner and the Democratic nominee. Despite Bulow's success in the preceding two elections, Green defeated McCullough by a decisive margin—even as Bulow himself was elected to the U.S. Senate.
