List of governors of South Dakota facts for kids
The governor of South Dakota is like the main leader or "boss" of the U.S. state of South Dakota. They are in charge of the state's government. The current governor is Larry Rhoden, who is part of the Republican Party. He started his term in 2025.
Governors of South Dakota
The area known as Dakota Territory was officially set up on March 2, 1861. Later, on November 2, 1889, it was divided into two separate states: North Dakota and South Dakota.
The rules for the governor of South Dakota are found in the Constitution of South Dakota. At first, governors were elected every two years, and there was no limit on how many times they could serve. In 1947, a rule was added that stopped someone from being nominated if they had already served two terms in a row. This created a term limit.
Then, in 1972, the term length changed to four years. The new rule also officially said that a person could not serve more than two terms in a row. If the governor's job becomes empty for any reason, the lieutenant governor steps in and becomes the new governor.
The Republican Party has held the governor's office in South Dakota since 1979. The last time a Democrat was governor of South Dakota was in 1974. This is the longest time in any U.S. state where one party has not held the governor's office.
No. | Governor | Term in office | Party | Election | Lt. Governor | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Arthur C. Mellette (1842–1896) |
November 2, 1889 – January 3, 1893 (did not run) |
Republican | 1889 | James H. Fletcher | ||
1890 | George H. Hoffman | |||||||
2 | ![]() |
Charles H. Sheldon (1840–1898) |
January 3, 1893 – January 5, 1897 (did not run) |
Republican | 1892 | Charles N. Herreid | ||
1894 | ||||||||
3 | ![]() |
Andrew E. Lee (1847–1934) |
January 5, 1897 – January 8, 1901 (did not run) |
Populist | 1896 | Daniel T. Hindman | ||
1898 | John T. Kean | |||||||
4 | ![]() |
Charles N. Herreid (1857–1928) |
January 8, 1901 – January 3, 1905 (did not run) |
Republican | 1900 | George W. Snow | ||
1902 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() |
Samuel H. Elrod (1856–1935) |
January 3, 1905 – January 8, 1907 (did not run) |
Republican | 1904 | John E. McDougall | ||
6 | ![]() |
Coe I. Crawford (1858–1944) |
January 8, 1907 – January 5, 1909 (did not run) |
Republican | 1906 | Howard C. Shober | ||
7 | ![]() |
Robert S. Vessey (1858–1929) |
January 5, 1909 – January 7, 1913 (did not run) |
Republican | 1908 | |||
1910 | Frank M. Byrne | |||||||
8 | ![]() |
Frank M. Byrne (1858–1927) |
January 7, 1913 – January 2, 1917 (did not run) |
Republican | 1912 | Edward Lincoln Abel | ||
1914 | Peter Norbeck | |||||||
9 | ![]() |
Peter Norbeck (1870–1936) |
January 2, 1917 – January 4, 1921 (did not run) |
Republican | 1916 | William H. McMaster | ||
1918 | ||||||||
10 | ![]() |
William H. McMaster (1877–1968) |
January 4, 1921 – January 6, 1925 (did not run) |
Republican | 1920 | Carl Gunderson | ||
1922 | ||||||||
11 | ![]() |
Carl Gunderson (1864–1933) |
January 6, 1925 – January 3, 1927 (lost election) |
Republican | 1924 | Alva Clark Forney | ||
12 | ![]() |
William J. Bulow (1869–1960) |
January 3, 1927 – January 6, 1931 (did not run) |
Democratic | 1926 | Hyatt E. Covey | ||
1928 | Clarence E. Coyne (died May 27, 1929) |
|||||||
John T. Grigsby | ||||||||
13 | ![]() |
Warren Green (1869–1945) |
January 6, 1931 – January 3, 1933 (lost election) |
Republican | 1930 | Odell K. Whitney | ||
14 | ![]() |
Tom Berry (1879–1951) |
January 3, 1933 – January 5, 1937 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1932 | Hans Ustrud | ||
1934 | Robert Peterson | |||||||
15 | ![]() |
Leslie Jensen (1892–1964) |
January 5, 1937 – January 3, 1939 (did not run) |
Republican | 1936 | Donald McMurchie | ||
16 | ![]() |
Harlan J. Bushfield (1882–1948) |
January 3, 1939 – January 5, 1943 (did not run) |
Republican | 1938 | |||
1940 | A. C. Miller | |||||||
17 | ![]() |
Merrell Q. Sharpe (1888–1962) |
January 5, 1943 – January 7, 1947 (lost nomination) |
Republican | 1942 | |||
1944 | Sioux K. Grigsby | |||||||
18 | ![]() |
George T. Mickelson (1903–1965) |
January 7, 1947 – January 2, 1951 (did not run) |
Republican | 1946 | |||
1948 | Rex Terry | |||||||
19 | ![]() |
Sigurd Anderson (1904–1990) |
January 2, 1951 – January 4, 1955 (did not run) |
Republican | 1950 | |||
1952 | ||||||||
20 | ![]() |
Joe Foss (1915–2003) |
January 4, 1955 – January 6, 1959 (did not run) |
Republican | 1954 | L. Roy Houck | ||
1956 | ||||||||
21 | ![]() |
Ralph Herseth (1909–1969) |
January 6, 1959 – January 3, 1961 (lost election) |
Democratic | 1958 | John F. Lindley | ||
22 | ![]() |
Archie M. Gubbrud (1910–1987) |
January 3, 1961 – January 5, 1965 (did not run) |
Republican | 1960 | Joseph H. Bottum | ||
1962 | Nils Boe | |||||||
23 | ![]() |
Nils Boe (1913–1992) |
January 5, 1965 – January 7, 1969 (did not run) |
Republican | 1964 | Lem Overpeck | ||
1966 | ||||||||
24 | ![]() |
Frank Farrar (1929–2021) |
January 7, 1969 – January 5, 1971 (lost election) |
Republican | 1968 | James Abdnor | ||
25 | ![]() |
Richard F. Kneip (1933–1987) |
January 5, 1971 – July 24, 1978 (resigned) |
Democratic | 1970 | William Dougherty | ||
1972 | ||||||||
1974 | Harvey Wollman | |||||||
26 | ![]() |
Harvey Wollman (1935–2022) |
July 24, 1978 – January 1, 1979 (lost nomination) |
Democratic | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
27 | ![]() |
Bill Janklow (1939–2012) |
January 1, 1979 – January 10, 1987 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1978 | Lowell C. Hansen II | ||
1982 | ||||||||
28 | ![]() |
George S. Mickelson (1941–1993) |
January 10, 1987 – April 19, 1993 (died in office) |
Republican | 1986 | Walter Dale Miller | ||
1990 | ||||||||
29 | ![]() |
Walter Dale Miller (1925–2015) |
April 19, 1993 – January 7, 1995 (lost nomination) |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Steve T. Kirby | ||
30 | ![]() |
Bill Janklow (1939–2012) |
January 7, 1995 – January 7, 2003 (term-limited) |
Republican | 1994 | Carole Hillard | ||
1998 | ||||||||
31 | Mike Rounds (b. 1954) |
January 7, 2003 – January 8, 2011 (term-limited) |
Republican | 2002 | Dennis Daugaard | |||
2006 | ||||||||
32 | ![]() |
Dennis Daugaard (b. 1953) |
January 8, 2011 – January 5, 2019 (term-limited) |
Republican | 2010 | Matt Michels | ||
2014 | ||||||||
33 | ![]() |
Kristi Noem (b. 1971) |
January 5, 2019 – January 25, 2025 (resigned) |
Republican | 2018 | Larry Rhoden | ||
2022 | ||||||||
34 | ![]() |
Larry Rhoden (b. 1959) |
January 25, 2025 – Incumbent |
Republican | Succeeded from lieutenant governor |
Vacant | ||
Tony Venhuizen (appointed January 30, 2025) |
See also
- Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#South Dakota
- List of South Dakota state legislatures