Governor of South Dakota
Encyclopedia
The Governor of South Dakota is the head of the executive branch of the government of South Dakota
. They are elected to a four year term on even years when there is no Presidential election
. The current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard is taking a 10% pay cut.
:
.
The first governor of South Dakota was Arthur C. Mellette
, who was also the last governor of the Dakota Territory
.
Two of South Dakota's governors have left office before their term expired. In 1978, Richard F. Kneip
resigned office six months before the expiration of his term to accept an appointment as United States Ambassador
to Singapore
. On April 19, 1993, George S. Mickelson
was killed in a plane crash near Dubuque, Iowa
; Mickelson is the only South Dakota governor to die in office. Mickelson and his father, George T. Mickelson
, are the only father-son duo to serve as governor.
South Dakota's longest serving governor was Bill Janklow
. Janklow is the only person to complete two four-year terms, and he did it twice, serving from 1979 to 1987 and again from 1995 to 2003. Janklow is also the only person to serve non-consecutive terms as governor.
Several governors have gone on to serve in other high offices. Coe I. Crawford
, Peter Norbeck
, William H. McMaster
, William J. Bulow
, and Harlan J. Bushfield
followed their tenures as governor by serving in the United States Senate
. Bill Janklow
served briefly in the United States House of Representatives
following his second stint as governor.
Of the 50 states, South Dakota currently holds the longest non-interrupted party control of the governorship. The Republican Party has controlled the South Dakota governorship since January 1, 1979.
Government of South Dakota
This article is about the government and politics of the U.S. state of South Dakota-Law and government:Like that of other US states, 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...
. They are elected to a four year term on even years when there is no Presidential election
United States presidential election
Elections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
. The current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010.
Gov. Dennis Daugaard is taking a 10% pay cut.
Powers and duties
The governor holds numerous powers and duties, which in many ways are analogous to those held by the President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
:
- The governor serves as a spokesman for the state, promoting business and economic development interests.
- The governor is actively involved in the legislative process; he may introduce legislation, and has the power to vetoVetoA veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...
bills passed by the legislature (though vetoes may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of each house). - The governor oversees the executive branch, and appoints the members of his cabinet. The governor also appoints the members of a wide array of state boards and commissions.
- The governor is the commander-in-chiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the South Dakota National GuardSouth Dakota National GuardThe South Dakota National Guard is part of the South Dakota Department of Military & Veterans Affairs.It consists of the:*South Dakota Army National Guard ** Joint Forces Headquarters** 196th Maneuver Enhanced Brigade** 196th Regional Training Battalion...
. - The governor may grant pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s to those convicted of criminal offenses under state law. - The governor fills vacancies that occur in the state legislature, the state judiciary, and other state constitutional offices. The governor also fills vacancies in U.S. SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seats from South Dakota. - The governor is the titular head of his political partyPolitical partyA political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
History
From 1889 until 1974, the governor served a two-year term. Until the 1940s, the governor was allowed to serve unlimited terms; since that time, governors have been limited to two consecutive terms. Beginning in 1974, the governor is elected to a four-year term, and may serve two consecutive terms. The governor is elected on a ticket with the Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant Governor of South Dakota
The Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota is the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of South Dakota.He or she is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of South Dakota state government and also serves as presiding officer of the South Dakota Senate...
.
The first governor of South Dakota was Arthur C. Mellette
Arthur C. Mellette
Arthur Calvin Mellette was the last Governor of the Dakota Territory and was the first Governor of the State of South Dakota.-Biography:...
, who was also the last governor of the Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
.
Two of South Dakota's governors have left office before their term expired. In 1978, Richard F. Kneip
Richard F. Kneip
Richard Francis "Dick" Kneip was the 25th Governor of the U.S. state of South Dakota from 1971 until 1978...
resigned office six months before the expiration of his term to accept an appointment as United States Ambassador
Ambassadors from the United States
This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to individual nations of the world, to international organizations, to past nations, and ambassadors-at-large.Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate...
to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. On April 19, 1993, George S. Mickelson
George S. Mickelson
George Speaker Mickelson was an American politician from the U.S. state of South Dakota. Mickelson, a Republican, served as the 28th Governor of South Dakota from January 6, 1987 until his death in a plane crash in 1993. His father, George T. Mickelson, was also a governor of South Dakota,...
was killed in a plane crash near Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
; Mickelson is the only South Dakota governor to die in office. Mickelson and his father, George T. Mickelson
George T. Mickelson
George Theodore Mickelson was the 18th Governor of South Dakota, and later a United States federal judge.-Background:...
, are the only father-son duo to serve as governor.
South Dakota's longest serving governor was Bill Janklow
Bill Janklow
William John "Bill" Janklow served as the 25th Attorney General of South Dakota, before being elected as South Dakota's 27th and 30th Governor, as well as to the United States House of Representatives where he served for a little more than a year. A Republican, Janklow's career has continued as a...
. Janklow is the only person to complete two four-year terms, and he did it twice, serving from 1979 to 1987 and again from 1995 to 2003. Janklow is also the only person to serve non-consecutive terms as governor.
Several governors have gone on to serve in other high offices. Coe I. Crawford
Coe I. Crawford
Coe Isaac Crawford was the sixth Governor of South Dakota in the United States.-Biography:He was born near Volney, in Allamakee County, Iowa. He attended the common schools and received additional instruction from a private tutor. In 1882, he graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in...
, Peter Norbeck
Peter Norbeck
Peter Norbeck served as the ninth Governor of South Dakota, and as a United States Senator. Norbeck was the first Governor of South Dakota to have been born within the borders of the state.-Biography:...
, William H. McMaster
William H. McMaster
William Henry McMaster was the tenth Governor of South Dakota, serving from 1921 until 1925, and also a United States Senator from that state. He died at the age of 91 in 1968. He was a member of the Republican Party....
, William J. Bulow
William J. Bulow
William John Bulow was an American politician and a lawyer. He was the first Democratic Governor of South Dakota, receiving the highest vote ever received by a Democratic candidate for governor up to that time,, and then went on to serve as a member of the United States Senate.-Biography:Bulow...
, and Harlan J. Bushfield
Harlan J. Bushfield
Harlan John Bushfield was a politician from South Dakota. He was born in Atlantic, Iowa in 1882. He moved with his family to South Dakota in 1883, and attended the public schools in Miller, South Dakota. He graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University in 1901, and from the University of Minnesota Law...
followed their tenures as governor by serving in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Bill Janklow
Bill Janklow
William John "Bill" Janklow served as the 25th Attorney General of South Dakota, before being elected as South Dakota's 27th and 30th Governor, as well as to the United States House of Representatives where he served for a little more than a year. A Republican, Janklow's career has continued as a...
served briefly in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
following his second stint as governor.
Of the 50 states, South Dakota currently holds the longest non-interrupted party control of the governorship. The Republican Party has controlled the South Dakota governorship since January 1, 1979.
See also
- South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
- Lieutenant Governor of South DakotaLieutenant Governor of South DakotaThe Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota is the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of South Dakota.He or she is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of South Dakota state government and also serves as presiding officer of the South Dakota Senate...
- South Dakota State Legislature
- GovernorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
(generally)