Political party strength in South Dakota

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of South Dakota:

• Governor
• Lieutenant Governor
• Secretary of State
• Attorney General
• State Auditor
• State Treasurer
• Commissioner of School and Public Lands

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:

• State Senate
• State House of Representatives
• State Public Utilities Commission
• State delegation to the U.S. Senate
• State delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's candidate received the state's electoral votes.

Year	Executive offices[1]							State Legislature		Pub. Util. Comm.	United States Congress			Electoral votes
	Governor	Lt. Governor	Sec. of State	Atty. Gen.	Auditor	Treasurer	Comm. of Lands	State Senate	State House		U.S. Senator (Class II)	U.S. Senator (Class III)	U.S. House
1889	Arthur C. Mellette (R)[a]	James H. Fletcher (R)	Amund O. Ringsrud (R)	Robert Dollard (R)	L. C. Taylor (R)	Wilbur F. Smith (R)	Osner H. Parker (R)	37R, 4D, 4I	106R, 13D, 2Pop, 2I, 1Fus	3NP	Richard F. Pettigrew (R)	Gideon C. Moody (R)	2R
1890
1891		George H. Hoffman (R)				W. W. Taylor (R)	Thomas H. Ruth (R)	22R, 10I, 8D, 3Pop, 2?	58D, 33I, 20R, 10Pop, 1Fus[b]			James H. Kyle (I)
1892														Harrison/ Reid (R) N
1893	Charles H. Sheldon (R)	Charles N. Herreid (R)	Thomas Thorson (R)	Coe I. Crawford (R)	J. E. Hipple (R)			35R, 4D, 3I, 1Pop	69R, 8I, 4D, 2Pop			James H. Kyle (Pop)
1894
1895						Kirk G. Phillips (R)	John L. Lockhart (R)	35R, 3D, 3Pop, 3Fus, 1I	69R, 11Pop, 2D, 2I	3R
1896											Richard F. Pettigrew (SvR)			2 – Bryan/ Sewall (D/SvR) N 2 – Bryan/ Watson (Pop) N
1897	Andrew E. Lee (Pop)	Daniel T. Hindman (R)	William H. Roddle (R)	Melvin Grigsby (Pop)	J. E. Mayhew (R)			20R, 15Fus, 6Pop, 2D	39R, 18Fus, 17Pop, 9D, 1I	3Pop			2Pop
1898
1899	Andrew E. Lee (Fus)[c]	John T. Kean (R)		John L. Pyle (R)[d]	James D. Reeves (R)	John Schamber (R)	David Eastman (R)	31R, 6Fus, 4D, 4Pop	61R, 15Fus, 9D, 2Pop	2Pop, 1R			2R
1900														McKinley/ Roosevelt (R) Y
1901												James H. Kyle (R)[d]
	Charles N. Herreid (R)	George W. Snow (R)	O. C. Berg (R)					41R, 2Fus, 1D, 1Pop	79R, 7D, 1Fus	2R, 1Pop	Robert J. Gamble (R)	Alfred B. Kittredge (R)
1902				Adolphus W. Burtt (R)
1903				Philo Hall (R)	J. F. Halladay (R)	C. B. Collins (R)	C. J. Bach (R)	41R, 3D, 1Fus	77R, 8D, 2Fus	3R
1904														Roosevelt/ Fairbanks (R) Y
1905	Samuel H. Elrod (R)	John E. McDougall (R)	David D. Wipf (R)					42R, 2Pop, 1D	86R, 2D, 1Fus
1906
1907	Coe I. Crawford (R)	Howard C. Shober (R)		S. Wesley Clark (R)	John Hirning (R)	C. H. Cassill (R)	O. C. Dokken (R)	35R, 8D, 1Pop, 1Fus	80R, 9D
1908														Taft/ Sherman (R) Y
1909	Robert S. Vessey (R)		Samuel C. Polley (R)			George G. Johnson (R)		38R, 6D, 1Pop	92R, 9D, 1Pop, 1I			Coe I. Crawford (R)
1910
1911		Frank M. Byrne (R)		Royal C. Johnson (R)	Henry B. Anderson (R)		F. F. Brinkler (R)	32R, 11D, 1Pop, 1I	97R, 5D, 1Pop, 1I
1912														Roosevelt/ Johnson (Prog) N
1913	Frank M. Byrne (R)	Edward Lincoln Abel (R)	Frank Galsner(R)			A. W. Ewert (R)		34R, 11D	89R, 13D, 1I		Thomas Sterling (R)		3R
1914
1915		Peter Norbeck (R)	Frank M. Rood (R)	Clarence C. Caldwell (R)	J. E. Handlin (R)		Fred Hepperle (R)		84R, 19D			Edwin S. Johnson (D)	2R, 1D
1916														Hughes/ Fairbanks (R) N
1917	Peter Norbeck (R)	William H. McMaster (R)				G. H. Helgerson (R)	N. E. Knight (R)	35R, 10D	89R, 14D
1918
1919			C. A. Burkhart (R)[d]	Byron S. Payne (R)	Jay Reeves (R)			43R, 2D	88R, 11D, 3I, 1?
1920														Harding/ Coolidge (R) Y
1921	William H. McMaster (R)	Carl Gunderson (R)				W. S. O'Brein (R)		44R, 1D	95R, 4D, 4I			Peter Norbeck (R)	3R
1922			Clarence E. Coyne (R)
1923				Buell F. Jones (R)	Edward A. Jones (R)			34R, 9D, 2I	84R, 12D, 5I, 1Fus
1924														Coolidge/ Dawes (R) Y
1925	Carl Gunderson (R)	Alva Clark Forney (R)				James L. Driscoll (R)	O. P. J. Englstorm (R)	35R, 9D, 1FL	85R, 15D, 2I, 1Fus		William H. McMaster (R)
1926
1927	William J. Bulow (D)	Hyatt E. Covey (R)	Gladys Pyle (R)			A. J. Moodie (R)		29R, 16D	77R, 25D, 1?
1928														Hoover/ Curtis (R) Y
1929		Clarence E. Coyne (R)[d]		Merrell Q. Sharpe (R)	William M. Dunn (R)			33R, 12D	82R, 21D
		John T. Grigsby (D)[e]
1930
1931	Warren Green (R)	Odell K. Whitney (R)	Elizabeth Coyne (R)			A. C. Goodhope (R)		31R, 14D	79R, 24D		William J. Bulow (D)
1932														Roosevelt/ Garner (D) Y
1933	Tom Berry (D)	Hans Ustrud (D)	Myrtle Morrison (D)	D. Walter Conway (D)	George O'Neill (D)	Frank G. Stewart (D)	Ben Strool (D)	30D, 15R	69D, 34R	2R, 1D			2D
1934
1935		Robert Peterson (D)						32D, 13R	63D, 40R	2D, 1R
1936
1937	Leslie Jensen (R)	Donald McMurchie (R)	Goldie Wells (D)	Clair Roddewig (D)	Raymond A. Kelly (D)	W. H. Hinselman (D)		23R, 22D	66R, 37D	2R, 1D		Herbert E. Hitchcock (D)	1D, 1R
1938												Gladys Pyle (R)
1939	Harlan J. Bushfield (R)		Olive A. Ringsrud (R)	Leo A. Temmey (R)	W. W. Warner (R)	W. G. Douglas (R)	Earl A. Hammerquest (R)	30R, 5D	62R, 13D	3R		Chan Gurney (R)	2R
1940														Willkie/ McNary (R) N
1941		A. C. Miller (R)						31R, 4D	65R, 10D
1942						John N. Thompson (R)
1943	Merrell Q. Sharpe (R)		L. M. Larsen (R)	George T. Mickelson (R)		E. V. Youngquist (R)[d]	John A. Lunden (R)		69R, 6D		Harlan J. Bushfield (R)[d]
1944														Dewey/ Bricker (R) N
1945		Sioux K. Grigsby (R)			Steve E. Anderson (R)	Hazel Dean (R)		35R	72R, 3D
1946
1947	George T. Mickelson (R)		Annamae Riff (R)	Sigurd Anderson (R)		Clarence E. Buehler (R)			71R, 4D
1948														Dewey/ Warren (R) N
											Vera C. Bushfield (R)[e]
1949		Rex Terry (R)					Bernard Linn (R)	27R, 8D	64R, 11D		Karl Mundt (R)[f]
1950					James O. Gilkerson (R)
1951	Sigurd Anderson (R)		Geraldine Ostroot (R)	Ralph A. Dunham (R)		Theodore Mehlaf (R)		29R, 6D	66R, 9D			Francis Case (R)
1952					Lawrence E. Mayes (R)									Eisenhower/ Nixon (R) Y
1953								35R	73R, 2D
1954
1955	Joe Foss (R)	L. Roy Houck (R)		Phil Saunders (R)		Ed Elkins (R)		29R, 6D	57R, 18D
1956					Fay A. Allbee (R)
1957			Clara Halls (R)					18R, 17D	48R, 27D				1D, 1R
1958					Oscar Brosz (R)
1959	Ralph Herseth (D)	John F. Lindley (D)	Selma Sandness (D)	Parnell J. Donahue (D)	Harriet Horning (D)	Al Hamre (R)		20D, 15R	43R, 32D
1960														Nixon/ Lodge (R) N
1961	Archie M. Gubbrud (R)	Joe Bottum (R)[g]	Essie Wiedenman (R)	A. C. Miller (R)	Betty Lou Casey (R)			23R, 12D	57R, 18D				2R
1962
		vacant										Joe Bottum (R)
1963		Nils Boe (R)		Frank Farrar (R)	Al Hamre (R)	Lloyd Jorgenson (R)		26R, 9D	58R, 17D			George McGovern (D)
1964														Johnson/ Humphrey (D) Y
1965	Nils Boe (R)	Lem Overpeck (R)	Alma Larson (R)					19R, 15D, 1I	45R, 30D
1966
1967					Lloyd Jorgenson (R)	Al Hamre (R)		29R, 6D	64R, 11D
1968														Nixon/ Agnew (R) Y
1969	Frank Farrar (R)	James Abdnor (R)		Gordon Mydland (R)	Alice Kundert (R)	Neal Strand (R)		27R, 8D	59R, 16D
1970
1971	Richard F. Kneip (D)[h]	William Dougherty (D)					Ralph Ginn (R)[d]	24R, 11D	45R, 30D	2R, 1D			2D
1972
1973			Lorna Herseth (D)	Kermit A. Sande (D)		David Volk (R)	George Kane (D)[e]	18D, 17R	35R, 35D[i]	2D, 1R	James Abourezk (D)		1D, 1R
1974
1975		Harvey Wollman (D)[j]		Bill Janklow (R)				19D, 16R	37R, 33D	3D			2R
1976														Ford/ Dole (R) N
1977								24R, 11D	48R, 22D	2D, 1R
1978	Harvey Wollman (D)[j]	vacant[j]
1979	Bill Janklow (R)	Lowell C. Hansen II (R)	Alice Kundert (R)	Mark V. Meierhenry (R)	Vern Larson (R)		John J. Gerken (R)				Larry Pressler (R)		1D, 1R
1980														Reagan/ Bush (R) Y
1981								25R, 10D	49R, 21D	2R, 1D		James Abdnor (R)
1982
1983							F. Julian Cheney (R)	26R, 9D	52R, 18D	2D, 1R			Tom Daschle (D)
1984							David Volk (R)
1985							John J. Gerken (R)	25R, 10D	57R, 13D
1986
1987	George S. Mickelson (R)[d]	Walter Dale Miller (R)	Joyce Hazeltine (R)	Roger Tellinghuisen (R)			Timothy Amdahl (R)	24R, 11D	48R, 22D	3D		Tom Daschle (D)	Tim Johnson (D)
1988														Bush/ Quayle (R) Y
1989								20R, 15D	46R, 24D	2D, 1R
1990
1991				Mark Barnett (R)		G. Homer Harding (R)	Curt Johnson (D)	18R, 17D	45R, 25D
1992														Bush/ Quayle (R) N
1993	Walter Dale Miller (R)[k]	Steve T. Kirby (R)[e]						20D, 15R	41R, 29D
1994
1995	Bill Janklow (R)	Carole Hillard (R)				Dick Butler (D)		19R, 16D	45R, 24D, 1I
1996														Dole/ Kemp (R) N
1997								22R, 13D	47R, 23D		Tim Johnson (D)		John Thune (R)
1998
1999									52R, 18D
2000														Bush/ Cheney (R) Y
2001								24R, 11D	50R, 20D
2002
2003	Mike Rounds (R)	Dennis Daugaard (R)	Chris Nelson (R)	Larry Long (R)	Rich Sattgast (R)	Vern Larson (R)	Bryce Healy (D)	26R, 9D	49R, 21D	2R, 1D			Bill Janklow (R)[l]
2004													Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D)[m]
2005								25R, 10D	51R, 19D	3R		John Thune (R)
2006
2007							Jarrod Johnson (R)	20R, 15D	50R, 20D	2R, 1D
2008														McCain/ Palin (R) N
2009								21R, 14D	46R, 24D
2010				Marty Jackley (R)
2011	Dennis Daugaard (R)	Matt Michels (R)	Jason Gant (R)		Steve Barnett (R)	Rich Sattgast (R)		30R, 5D[n]	50R, 19D, 1I	3R			Kristi Noem (R)
2012														Romney/ Ryan (R) N
2013							Vern Larson (R)	28R, 7D	53R, 17D
2014
2015			Shantel Krebs (R)				Ryan Brunner (R)[o]	27R, 8D	58R, 12D		Mike Rounds (R)
2016														Trump/ Pence (R) Y
2017								29R, 6D	60R, 10D
2018
2019	Kristi Noem (R)[p]	Larry Rhoden (R)	Steve Barnett (R)	Jason Ravnsborg (R)[q]	Rich Sattgast (R)	Josh Haeder (R)		30R, 5D	59R, 11D				Dusty Johnson (R)
2020														Trump/ Pence (R) N
2021								32R, 3D	62R, 8D
2022							Jarrod Johnson (R)[e]
				Mark Vargo (R)[e]
2023			Monae Johnson (R)	Marty Jackley (R)			Brock Greenfield (R)	31R, 4D	63R, 7D
2024														Trump/ Vance (R) Y
2025	Larry Rhoden (R)[k]	Tony Venhuizen (R)[e]						32R, 3D	64R, 6D

Key to party colors and abbreviations for members of the U.S. Congress and other politicians or officials

Alaskan Independence (AKIP) Know Nothing (KN) American Labor (AL) Anti-Jacksonian (Anti-J) National Republican (NR) Anti-Administration (AA) Anti-Masonic (Anti-M) Conservative (Con) Covenant (Cov)

Democratic (D) Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Democratic–NPL (D-NPL) Dixiecrat (Dix), States' Rights (SR) Democratic-Republican (DR) Farmer–Labor (FL) Federalist (F) Pro-Administration (PA)

Free Soil (FS) Fusion (Fus) Greenback (GB) Independence (IPM) Independent Democrat (ID) Independent Republican (IR) Jacksonian (J) Liberal (Lib)

Libertarian (L) National Union (NU) Nonpartisan League (NPL) Nullifier (N) Opposition Northern (O) Opposition Southern (O) Populist (Pop) Progressive (Prog)

Prohibition (Proh) Readjuster (Rea) Republican (R) Silver (Sv) Silver Republican (SvR) Socialist (Soc) Union (U) Unconditional Union (UU)

Vermont Progressive (VP) Whig (W) Independent (I) Nonpartisan (NP)

1. Arthur C. Mellette had served as the final governor of Dakota Territory prior to his election as the first governor of the State of South Dakota.
2. A Independent Republican Speaker, Charles X. Seward, was elected with the support of Democrats, Independents, Populists, and members of the Farmers' Alliance who ran as Independents. This alliance, with the Farmers' Alliance and the Populists being predominant, ran and organized the chamber.^[2]
3. Andrew E. Lee won re-election on the Fusion ticket in 1898. In 1898, the Fusion Party was a coalition of Democrats/
   Populists; in 1900 it consisted of Democrats, Populists and Silver Republicans.
4. Died in office.
5. Appointed to fill a vacancy.
6. Appointed after having already been elected to a full term.
7. Resigned when appointed to a seat in the U.S. Senate.
8. Richard F. Kneip was the last South Dakota governor to serve a two-year term (1971-73 and 1973-75), and the first elected to a four-year term (in the 1974 election).
9. A Democrat, Gene N. LeBrun, was elected Speaker, and the Democrats organized and ran the House.^[3]
10. On July 24, 1978, Governor Kneip resigned to become United States Ambassador to Singapore. Lieutenant Governor Harvey L. Wollman succeeded to the office of governor on that date and served until January 1, 1979. The office of Lieutenant Governor remained vacant for the remainder of the term.
11. Assumed office following the death or resignation of predecessor.
12. Resigned.
13. First elected in special election.
14. Democratic Senator-elect Eldon Nygaard switched to the Republicans prior to the start of the legislative session.
15. Resigned to be a senior policy advisor in Governor Noem's office.
16. Resigned to become United States Secretary of Homeland Security
17. Jason Ravnsborg Impeached by the South Dakota House of Representatives on April 12, 2022, and suspended from his duties pending trial in the South Dakota Senate.

See also

• Politics in South Dakota
• Government of South Dakota