William John Janklow was an American lawyer and politician and member of the Republican Party who holds the record for the longest tenure as Governor of South Dakota: sixteen years in office. Janklow had the third-longest gubernatorial tenure in post-Constitutional U.S. history at 5,851 days.
Marion Michael Rounds is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from South Dakota since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 to 2011, and in the South Dakota Senate from 1991 to 2001. In 2014, Rounds was elected to the United States Senate, succeeding retiring Democrat Tim Johnson. He was reelected in 2020 over Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers.
Stephanie Marie Herseth Sandlin is an American attorney, university administrator, and politician from the Democratic Party. She served in the United States House of Representatives for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 2004 until 2011. Sandlin was first elected to Congress in a special election on July 12, 2004 and was re-elected three times before losing her seat in Congress to Republican Kristi Noem in 2010. She was the youngest female member of the House, and the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota. Before her 2007 marriage to Max Sandlin, she was known as Stephanie Herseth. She is a Democrat and a member of the Herseth family of South Dakota, and president of Augustana University.
The Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act was a state law passed by the South Dakota State Legislature in early 2006. It emerged as an effort to overturn Roe v. Wade via enacting a ban on abortion in the state of South Dakota. The law was repealed by voter referendum on November 7, 2006.
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.
Sandra Isabelle "Sandy" Jerstad is a Democratic member of the South Dakota Senate, who represented the 12th district, being elected in 2006. Senator Jerstad sought reelection in 2010 but was defeated in the general election by Republican Mark Johnston.
Ryan M. Maher is a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate, representing the 28th district since 2006.
Daniel D. Sutton was a Democratic member of the South Dakota Senate, representing the 8th district from 2001 through 2008. During his time in the state senate, he served as Minority Whip. Sutton was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1999 through 2000.
Scott Donald Munsterman is a former mayor of Brookings, South Dakota. Munsterman sought the Republican nomination for governor of South Dakota in the South Dakota gubernatorial election in 2010. In a Republican primary election on June 8, 2010, Munsterman came in second to Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Munsterman received 17.6% or 14,733 of the 83,832 ballots cast, approximately one third of the 50% received by Daugaard.
Ron J. Volesky is an American lawyer, who served 16 years in the South Dakota Senate, first as a member of the Republican Party before switching to the Democratic Party.
Kristi Lynn Noem is an American politician serving as the 33rd governor of South Dakota since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the U.S. representative for South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives for the 6th district from 2007 to 2011. Noem was elected governor in 2018 and is South Dakota's first female governor.
The 2014 United States Senate election in South Dakota took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of South Dakota, concurrently with the election of the Governor of South Dakota, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
A heartbeat bill or fetal heartbeat bill is a form of abortion restriction legislation in the United States which makes abortions illegal as soon as the embryonic or fetal heartbeat can be detected.
Larry Rhoden is an American politician and businessman serving as the 39th lieutenant governor of South Dakota since 2019. A Republican, he previously served in both houses of the South Dakota Legislature.
Kevin Killer is an activist, Native American politician, and president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He previously served as a Democratic member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017 and the South Dakota Senate from 2017 to 2019, representing the 27th district. He lives in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. In November 2020, he was elected tribal president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
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, a proud member of the American far-right anti-government militia organization The Oath Keepers, 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)
Gordon K. Howie is an American politician from the state of South Dakota. As a member of the Republican Party, he served in the South Dakota House of Representatives and the South Dakota Senate. Howie ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of South Dakota in 2010. He also ran for the U.S. Senate as an Independent in the 2014 elections.
The 2016 United States Senate election in South Dakota was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of South Dakota, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held June 7.
Jon Hansen is an American attorney serving as a representative for the 25th Legislative District in the South Dakota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, and the current Speaker pro tempore of the South Dakota House of Representatives. Hansen previously served as a representative for District 25 in 2011–2013. Hansen currently serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and as a house majority whip.
