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List of governors of South Dakota

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The governor of South Dakota is the head of government of the U.S. state of South Dakota. The current governor is Larry Rhoden, representing the Republican Party, serving since 2025.

Governors

For governors before statehood, see List of governors of Dakota Territory.

Dakota Territory was organized on March 2, 1861;[1] on November 2, 1889, it was split into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.[2]

The Constitution of South Dakota originally provided for the election of a governor and lieutenant governor every two years with no limits. A law passed in 1947 prohibited parties from nominating someone who had served two consecutive terms, effectively creating a term limit, and an amendment in 1972 increased term lengths to four years while formally prohibiting someone from serving three consecutive terms. Should the office of governor become vacant, the lieutenant governor becomes governor.[3]

The Republican Party has been in control of the governorship continuously since 1979, Democrats last won the governorship of South Dakota in 1974. This is the longest drought of any state where the opposite party last held the office.

More information No., Governor ...
Governors of the State of South Dakota
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor[a]
1   Arthur C. Mellette
(1842–1896)
[4][5]		 November 2, 1889[b]
–
January 3, 1893
(1159 days; retired)[4]		 Republican[8] 1889   James H. Fletcher
1890 George H. Hoffman
2 Charles H. Sheldon
(1840–1898)
[9][10]		 January 3, 1893[11]
–
January 5, 1897
(1464 days; retired)		 Republican[8] 1892 Charles N. Herreid
1894
3 Andrew E. Lee
(1847–1934)
[12][13]		 January 5, 1897[14]
–
January 8, 1901
(1464 days; retired)[c]		 Populist 1896 Daniel T. Hindman[d]
1898 John T. Kean[d]
4 Charles N. Herreid
(1857–1928)
[15][16]		 January 8, 1901[17]
–
January 3, 1905
(1457 days; retired)[15]		 Republican[8] 1900 George W. Snow
1902
5 Samuel H. Elrod
(1856–1935)
[18][19]		 January 3, 1905[20]
–
January 8, 1907
(736 days;
lost nomination)[21]		 Republican[8] 1904 John E. McDougall
6 Coe I. Crawford
(1858–1944)
[22][23]		 January 8, 1907[24]
–
January 5, 1909
(729 days; retired)[e]		 Republican[8] 1906 Howard C. Shober
7 Robert S. Vessey
(1858–1929)
[25][26]		 January 5, 1909[27]
–
January 7, 1913
(1464 days; retired)		 Republican[8] 1908
1910 Frank M. Byrne
8 Frank M. Byrne
(1858–1927)
[28][29]		 January 7, 1913[30]
–
January 2, 1917
(1457 days; retired)		 Republican[8] 1912 Edward Lincoln Abel
1914 Peter Norbeck
9 Peter Norbeck
(1870–1936)
[31][32]		 January 2, 1917[33]
–
January 4, 1921
(1464 days; retired)[f]		 Republican[8] 1916 William H. McMaster
1918
10 William H. McMaster
(1877–1968)
[34][35]		 January 4, 1921[36]
–
January 6, 1925
(1464 days; retired)[g]		 Republican[8] 1920 Carl Gunderson
1922
11 Carl Gunderson
(1864–1933)
[37][38]		 January 6, 1925[39]
–
January 3, 1927
(728 days; lost election)		 Republican[8] 1924 Alva Clark Forney
12 William J. Bulow
(1869–1960)
[40][41]		 January 3, 1927[42]
–
January 6, 1931
(1465 days; retired)[h]		 Democratic[8] 1926 Hyatt E. Covey[d]
1928 Clarence E. Coyne[d]
(died May 27, 1929)
John T. Grigsby
13 Warren Green
(1869–1945)
[43][44]		 January 6, 1931[45]
–
January 3, 1933
(729 days; lost election)		 Republican[8] 1930 Odell K. Whitney
14 Tom Berry
(1879–1951)
[46][47]		 January 3, 1933[48]
–
January 5, 1937
(1464 days; lost election)		 Democratic[8] 1932 Hans Ustrud
1934 Robert Peterson
15 Leslie Jensen
(1892–1964)
[49][50]		 January 5, 1937[51]
–
January 3, 1939
(729 days; retired)[i]		 Republican[8] 1936 Donald McMurchie
16 Harlan J. Bushfield
(1882–1948)
[52][53]		 January 3, 1939[54]
–
January 5, 1943
(1464 days; retired)[j]		 Republican[8] 1938
1940 A. C. Miller
17 Merrell Q. Sharpe
(1888–1962)
[55][56]		 January 5, 1943[57]
–
January 7, 1947
(1464 days;
lost nomination)[55]		 Republican[8] 1942
1944 Sioux K. Grigsby
18 George T. Mickelson
(1903–1965)
[58][59]		 January 7, 1947[60]
–
January 2, 1951
(1457 days; term-limited)[k]		 Republican[8] 1946
1948 Rex Terry
19 Sigurd Anderson
(1904–1990)
[61][62]		 January 2, 1951[63]
–
January 4, 1955
(1464 days; term-limited)[k]		 Republican[8] 1950
1952
20 Joe Foss
(1915–2003)
[64][65]		 January 4, 1955[66]
–
January 6, 1959
(1464 days; term-limited)[k]		 Republican[8] 1954 L. Roy Houck
1956
21 Ralph Herseth
(1909–1969)
[67][68]		 January 6, 1959[69]
–
January 3, 1961
(729 days; lost election)		 Democratic[8] 1958 John F. Lindley[d]
22 Archie M. Gubbrud
(1910–1987)
[70][71]		 January 3, 1961[72]
–
January 5, 1965
(1464 days; term-limited)[k]		 Republican[8] 1960 Joseph H. Bottum
1962 Nils Boe
23 Nils Boe
(1913–1992)
[73][74]		 January 5, 1965[75]
–
January 7, 1969
(1464 days; term-limited)[k]		 Republican[8] 1964 Lem Overpeck
1966
24 Frank Farrar
(1929–2021)
[76][77]		 January 7, 1969[78]
–
January 5, 1971
(729 days; lost election)		 Republican[8] 1968 James Abdnor
25 Richard F. Kneip
(1933–1987)
[79][80]		 January 5, 1971[81]
–
July 24, 1978
(2758 days; resigned)[l]		 Democratic[8] 1970 William Dougherty
1972
1974 Harvey Wollman
26 Harvey Wollman
(1935–2022)
[82]		 July 24, 1978[83]
–
January 1, 1979
(162 days;
lost nomination)[m]		 Democratic[82] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
27 Bill Janklow
(1939–2012)
[84]		 January 1, 1979[85]
–
January 10, 1987
(2932 days; term-limited)[n]		 Republican[84] 1978 Lowell C. Hansen II
1982
28 George S. Mickelson
(1941–1993)
[87]		 January 10, 1987[88]
–
April 19, 1993
(2292 days; died in office)		 Republican[87] 1986 Walter Dale Miller
1990
29 Walter Dale Miller
(1925–2015)
[89]		 April 19, 1993[90]
–
January 7, 1995
(629 days;
lost nomination)		 Republican[89] Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Steve T. Kirby
30 Bill Janklow
(1939–2012)
[84]		 January 7, 1995[91]
–
January 7, 2003
(2923 days; term-limited)[n]		 Republican[84] 1994 Carole Hillard
1998
31 Mike Rounds
(b. 1954)
[92]		 January 7, 2003[93]
–
January 8, 2011
(2924 days; term-limited)[n]		 Republican[92] 2002 Dennis Daugaard
2006
32 Dennis Daugaard
(b. 1953)
[94]		 January 8, 2011[95]
–
January 5, 2019
(2920 days; term-limited)[n]		 Republican[94] 2010 Matt Michels
2014
33 Kristi Noem
(b. 1971)
[96]		 January 5, 2019[97]
–
January 25, 2025
(2213 days; resigned)[o]		 Republican[96] 2018 Larry Rhoden
2022
34 Larry Rhoden
(b. 1959)
 January 25, 2025[98]
–
Incumbent[p]
(in office 630 days)		 Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor		 Vacant
Tony Venhuizen
(appointed January 30, 2025)
Close

Electoral history (1950–)

More information Year, Democratic nominee ...
Year Democratic nominee Republican nominee Libertarian nominee Independent candidate Other candidate
Candidate # % Candidate # % Candidate # % Candidate # % Candidate # %
1950 Joe Robbie 99,062 39.11% Sigurd Anderson 154,254 60.89% – – –
1952 Sherman A. Iverson 86,413 29.85% Sigurd Anderson 203,102 70.15% – – –
1954 Ed C. Martin 102,377 43.33% Joe Foss 133,878 56.67% – – –
1956 Ralph Herseth 133,198 45.61% Joe Foss 158,819 54.39% – – –
1958 Ralph Herseth 132,761 51.40% Phil Saunders 125,520 48.60% – – –
1960 Ralph Herseth 150,095 49.27% Archie M. Gubbrud 154,530 50.73% – – –
1962 Ralph Herseth 112,438 43.90% Archie M. Gubbrud 143,682 56.10% – – –
1964 John F. Lindley 140,919 48.33% Nils Boe 150,151 51.67% – – –
1966 Robert Chamberlin 96,504 42.29% Nils Boe 131,710 57.71% – – –
1968 Robert Chamberlin 117,260 42.35% Frank Farrar 159,646 57.65% – – –
1970 Richard F. Kneip 131,616 54.85% Frank Farrar 108,347 45.15% – – –
1972 Richard F. Kneip 185,012 60.03% Carveth Thompson 123,165 39.97% – – –
1974 Richard F. Kneip 149,151 53.61% John E. Olson 129,077 46.39% – – –
1978 Roger D. McKellips 112,679 43.37% Bill Janklow 147,116 56.63% – – –
1982 Mike O'Connor 81,136 29.13% Bill Janklow 197,429 70.87% – – –
1986 Lars Herseth 141,898 48.19% George S. Mickelson 154,543 51.81% – – –
1990 Bob L. Samuelson 105,525 41.10% George S. Mickelson 151,198 58.90% – – –
1994 Jim Beddow 126,273 40.52% Bill Janklow 172,515 55.36% Nathan A. Barton 12,825 4.12% – –
1998 Bernie Hunhoff 85,473 32.85% Bill Janklow 166,621 64.04% Bob Newland 4,389 1.69% Ronald Wieczorek 3,704 1.42% –
2002 Jim Abbott 140,263 41.92% Mike Rounds 189,920 56.77% Nathan A. Barton 1,983 0.59% James P. Carlson 2,393 0.72% –
2006 Jack Billion 121,226 36.13% Mike Rounds 206,990 61.69% Tom Gerber 3,282 0.98% – Steven J. Willis
(Constitution)		 4,010 1.20%
2010 Scott Heidepriem 122,037 38.49% Dennis Daugaard 195,046 61.51% – – –
2014 Susan Wismer 70,549 25.43% Dennis Daugaard 195,477 70.47% – Michael J. Myers 11,377 4.10% –
2018 Billie Sutton 161,454 47.60% Kristi Noem 172,912 50.97% Kurt Evans 4,848 1.43% – –
2022 Jamie Smith 123,148 35.17% Kristi Noem 217,035 61.98% Tracey Quint 9,983 2.85% – –
Close

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
  2. [b]
    Mellette was territorial governor when South Dakota became a state, and was elected as its first governor.[4][6] He was sworn in on October 15, 1889.[7]
  3. [c]
    Lee instead ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives.
  4. [d]
    Represented the Republican Party
  5. [e]
    Crawford was instead elected to the United States Senate.[22]
  6. [f]
    Norbeck was instead elected to the United States Senate.[31]
  7. [g]
    McMaster was instead elected to the United States Senate.[34]
  8. [h]
    Bulow was instead elected to the United States Senate.
  9. [i]
    Jensen instead ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to the United States Senate.[49]
  10. [j]
    Bushfield was instead elected to the United States Senate.[52]
  11. [k]
    Under a 1947 law, parties were prohibited from nominating someone who had served two consecutive terms as governor.
  12. [l]
    Kneip resigned, having been confirmed as United States Ambassador to Singapore.[80]
  13. [m]
    Wollman lost the Democratic nomination to Roger D. McKellips.
  14. [n]
    Under a 1972 amendment to the constitution, governors are ineligible to be elected to more than two consecutive terms.[86]
  15. [o]
    Noem resigned, having been confirmed as United States Secretary of Homeland Security.
  16. [p]
    Rhoden's term will expire on January 9, 2027.

References

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