List of Governors of South Dakota - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

List of South Dakota Governors

Number of Governors of South Dakota by party affiliation
Party	Governors
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	26
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	5
Populist Populist Party (United States) The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...	1

#	Name	Term	Party	Life	City elected from
1	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:...	March 22, 1889–January 3, 1893	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	1842–1896	Watertown Watertown, South Dakota Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties...
2	Charles H. Sheldon Charles H. Sheldon Charles Henry Sheldon was the second Governor of South Dakota.-Biography:Charles Henry Sheldon was born in Lamoille County, Vermont, the third of four children of Gresham and Mary Sheldon. After the death of his father in 1844, Sheldon worked as a farm laborer from the ages of twelve to...	January 3, 1893–January 1, 1897	Republican	1840–1898	Pierpont Pierpont, South Dakota Pierpont is a town in Day County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 135 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pierpont is located at ....
3	Andrew E. Lee Andrew E. Lee Andrew Ericson Lee was an American politician who served as the third Governor of South Dakota.-Background:Lee was born near Bergen in Norway and at a young age moved with his parents to the United States. His parents were Eric Lee and Augusta Lee. He spent his childhood on a farm in Dane...	January 1, 1897–January 8, 1901	Populist Populist Party (United States) The People's Party, also known as the "Populists", was a short-lived political party in the United States established in 1891. It was most important in 1892-96, then rapidly faded away...	1847–1934	Vermillion Vermillion, South Dakota Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. Vermillion lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.The area has been home to...
4	Charles N. Herreid Charles N. Herreid Charles Nelson Herreid was the fourth Governor of South Dakota.-Biography:Charles Herreid was born in Madison, Wisconsin. He attended Galesville University in Wisconsin from 1874 to 1878 and the University of Wisconsin from 1880 to 1882...	January 8, 1901–January 3, 1905	Republican	1857–1928	Eureka Eureka, South Dakota Eureka is a city in McPherson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 868 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Eureka is located at ....
5	Samuel H. Elrod Samuel H. Elrod Samuel Harrison Elrod was the fifth Governor of South Dakota. Elrod, a Republican from Clark, South Dakota, served from 1905 to 1907.-Biography:...	January 3, 1905–January 8, 1907	Republican	1856–1935	Clark Clark, South Dakota Clark is a city in Clark County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Clark County.-Geography:Clark is located at ....
6	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...	January 8, 1907–January 5, 1909	Republican	1858–1944	Huron Huron, South Dakota Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 12,592 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University since 1897. Huron is also the home of the South Dakota State Fair...
7	Robert S. Vessey Robert S. Vessey Robert Scadden Vessey was the seventh Governor of South Dakota. Vessey, a Republican from Wessington Springs, served from 1909 to 1913.-Biography:...	January 5, 1909–January 7, 1913	Republican	1858–1929	Wessington Springs Wessington Springs, South Dakota Wessington Springs is a city in Jerauld County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 956 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jerauld County.-Geography:Wessington Springs is located at ....
8	Frank M. Byrne Frank M. Byrne Frank M. Byrne was the eighth Governor of South Dakota.-Biography:Byrne was born near Volney, Allamakee County, Iowa to Irish immigrants, Michael and Delia Byrne. Byrne's formal education was limited to rural school; but, he frequently read books from his own large library...	January 7, 1913–January 2, 1917	Republican	1858–1927	Faulkton Faulkton, South Dakota Faulkton is a city in and the county seat of Faulk County, South Dakota, United States. Its nickname is the Carousel City. The population was 736 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Faulkton is located at ....
9	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:...	January 2, 1917–January 4, 1921	Republican	1870–1936	Redfield Redfield, South Dakota Redfield is a city in and the county seat of Spink County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,333 at the 2010 census. The city is not to be confused with the surrounding Redfield Township, which encompasses unincorporated areas outside of the city limits.-Geography:Redfield is...
10	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....	January 4, 1921–January 6, 1925	Republican	1877–1968	Yankton Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in, and the county seat of, Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 14,454 at the 2010 census. Yankton was the original capital of Dakota Territory. It is named for the Yankton tribe of Nakota Native Americans...
11	Carl Gunderson Carl Gunderson Carl Gunderson was the 11th Governor of South Dakota. Gunderson, a Republican from Mitchell, South Dakota, served from 1925 to 1927.-Background:...	January 6, 1925–January 4, 1927	Republican	1864–1933	Mitchell Mitchell, South Dakota -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,558 people, 6,121 households, and 3,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.7 people per square mile . There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 664.4 per square mile...
12	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...	January 4, 1927–January 6, 1931	Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	1869–1960	Beresford Beresford, South Dakota Beresford is a city in Lincoln and Union counties in the U.S. state of South Dakota. The population was 2,005 as of the 2010 census. The southern two-thirds is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the northern one-third is part of the Sioux Falls...
13	Warren Green Warren Green Warren Everett Green was the thirteenth Governor of South Dakota. Green, a Republican from Hazel, South Dakota, served from 1931 to 1933.-Biography:...	January 6, 1931–January 3, 1933	Republican	1870–1945	Hazel Hazel, South Dakota Hazel is a town in Hamlin County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 91 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hazel is located at ....
14	Tom Berry Tom Berry For the professional baseball player, see Tom Berry Thomas Matthew Berry was the fourteenth Governor of South Dakota. Berry, a Democrat from Belvidere, South Dakota, served from 1933 to 1937...	January 3, 1933–January 5, 1937	Democratic	1879–1951	Belvidere Belvidere, South Dakota Belvidere is a city in Jackson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 49 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Belvidere is located at ....
15	Leslie Jensen Leslie Jensen Leslie Jensen was an American politician. He served as the 15th Governor of South Dakota.-Background:...	January 5, 1937–January 3, 1939	Republican	1892–1964	Hot Springs Hot Springs, South Dakota Hot Springs is a city in Fall River County, South Dakota, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,711. It is the county seat of Fall River County...
16	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...	January 3, 1939–January 5, 1943	Republican	1882–1948	Miller Miller, South Dakota Miller is a city in Hand County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,489 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Hand County.-Geography:...
17	Merrill Q. Sharpe Merrill Q. Sharpe Merrell Quentin Sharpe was a Republican American politician from Kennebec, South Dakota.-Governor:Sharpe served as 17th Governor of South Dakota from 1943 to 1947.,...	January 5, 1943–January 7, 1947	Republican	1883–1962	Kennebec Kennebec, South Dakota Kennebec is a town in Lyman County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 240 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lyman County.-Geography:Kennebec is located at ....
18	George T. Mickelson George T. Mickelson George Theodore Mickelson was the 18th Governor of South Dakota, and later a United States federal judge.-Background:...	January 7, 1947–January 2, 1951	Republican	1903–1965	Selby Selby, South Dakota Selby is a city in Walworth County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 642 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Walworth County.-Geography:Selby is located at ....
19	Sigurd Anderson Sigurd Anderson Sigurd Anderson was the 19th Governor of South Dakota. Anderson, a Republican from Webster, South Dakota, served in that office from 1951 to 1955.-Background:...	January 2, 1951–January 4, 1955	Republican	1904–1990	Webster Webster, South Dakota Webster is a city in and the county seat of Day County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,886 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Webster is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
20	Joe Foss Joe Foss Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss was the leading fighter ace of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and a 1943 recipient of the Medal of Honor, recognizing his role in the air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign...	January 4, 1955–January 6, 1959	Republican	1915–2003	Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
21	Ralph Herseth Ralph Herseth Ralph E. Herseth was the 21st Governor of South Dakota from January 6, 1959 to January 3, 1961.-Background:Herseth was born in Houghton, South Dakota. to Lars Herseth and Oline Afseth Herseth. He graduated from Columbia High School, in Brown County, South Dakota. He attended Northern State...	January 6, 1959–January 3, 1961	Democratic	1909–1969	Houghton Houghton, South Dakota Houghton is an unincorporated community in Brown County, South Dakota, United States. Although not tracked by the Census Bureau, Houghton has been assigned the ZIP code of 57449.-Notable natives:...
22	Archie M. Gubbrud Archie M. Gubbrud Archie M. Gubbrud was the 22nd Governor of South Dakota.-Background:Archie M. Gubbrud was born in Norway Township in Lincoln County, South Dakota. He was one of four children born to Torval Marius and Ella Gubbrud...	January 3, 1961–January 5, 1965	Republican	1910–1987	Alcester Alcester, South Dakota Alcester is a city in Union County, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 807 at the 2010 census.- History :...
23	Nils Boe Nils Boe Nils Andreas Boe was an American politician who served as the 23rd Governor of South Dakota from 1965 to 1969.-Background:...	January 5, 1965–January 7, 1969	Republican	1913–1992	Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
24	Frank Farrar Frank Farrar Frank Leroy Farrar was an American politician and the 24th Governor of South Dakota. A Republican from Britton, he served as the state's attorney general from 1963 to 1969, and as governor from 1969 to 1971. After leaving office, he chaired several holding companies and became the owner of...	January 7, 1969–January 5, 1971	Republican	1929—	Britton Britton, South Dakota Britton is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,241 at the 2010 census.A weekly newspaper, the Britton Journal, is published in Britton.-Geography:...
25	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...	January 5, 1971–July 24, 1978	Democratic	1933–1987	Salem Salem, South Dakota Salem is a city in and the county seat of McCook County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,347 at the 2010 census. The current mayor is Kennth Scott, a long-time resident. Salem at one time was called Melas...
26	Harvey L. Wollman Harvey L. Wollman Harvey Lowell Wollman was the 26th Governor of South Dakota. He was the first Lieutenant Governor in the history of South Dakota to move into the Governor's office. As of 2009, he is also the most recent Democrat to hold the title of South Dakota governor.Wollman was born in 1935 in Frankfort,...	July 24, 1978–January 1, 1979	Democratic	1935—	Hitchcock Hitchcock, South Dakota Hitchcock is a town in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 91 at the 2010 census.Hitchcock co-ops with the nearby town of Tulare for sports, making them the Hitchcock/Tulare Patroits.-Geography:...
27	William J. Janklow	January 1, 1979–January 6, 1987	Republican	1939—	Flandreau Flandreau, South Dakota Flandreau is a city in Moody County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,341 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Moody County...
28	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,...	January 6, 1987–April 19, 1993	Republican	1941–1993	Brookings Brookings, South Dakota Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher...
29	Walter Dale Miller Walter Dale Miller Walter Dale "Walt" Miller is an American politician with the Republican Party. He served as 29th Governor of South Dakota from 1993 to 1995, having succeeded to office upon the death of George S...	April 19, 1993–January 7, 1995	Republican	1925—	New Underwood New Underwood, South Dakota New Underwood is a city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 660 at the 2010 census.-Geography:New Underwood is located at ....
30	William J. Janklow	January 5, 1995–January 7, 2003	Republican	1939—	Brandon Brandon, South Dakota There were 1,909 households out of which 53.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 13.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone...
31	M. Michael Rounds Mike Rounds Marion Michael "Mike" Rounds is an American politician. Rounds served as the 31st Governor of South Dakota. Rounds was first inaugurated on January 7, 2003, having been elected on November 5, 2002, and was re-elected on November 7, 2006...	January 7, 2003–January 8, 2011	Republican	1954—	Pierre Pierre, South Dakota Pierre is the capital of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. The population was 13,646 at the 2010 census, making it the second least populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont...
32	Dennis Daugaard	January 8, 2011–present (Incumbent)	Republican	1953—	Garretson Garretson, South Dakota Garretson is a city in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,166 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Garretson is located at ....

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional seats, other federal offices, and other governorships held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented South Dakota except where noted. * denotes those offices which the governor resigned to take.

Name	Gubernatorial term	U.S. Congress United States Congress The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....		Other offices held
Name	Gubernatorial term	House 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...	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...	Other offices held
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...	1907-1909		S
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:...	1917-1921		S
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....	1921-1925		S
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...	1927-1931		S
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...	1939-1943		S
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...	1971-1978			United States Ambassador to Singapore*
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...	1979-1987; 1995-2003	H

Living former governors

, four former governors were alive, the oldest being Walter Dale Miller

Walter Dale Miller

Walter Dale "Walt" Miller is an American politician with the Republican Party. He served as 29th Governor of South Dakota from 1993 to 1995, having succeeded to office upon the death of George S...

(1993–1995, born 1925). The most recent governor to die was Joe Foss

Joe Foss

Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss was the leading fighter ace of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and a 1943 recipient of the Medal of Honor, recognizing his role in the air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign...

(1955–1959), on January 1, 2003. The most recently-serving governor to die was 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,...

(1987–1993), who died in office on April 19, 1993.

Name	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth
Frank Farrar Frank Farrar Frank Leroy Farrar was an American politician and the 24th Governor of South Dakota. A Republican from Britton, he served as the state's attorney general from 1963 to 1969, and as governor from 1969 to 1971. After leaving office, he chaired several holding companies and became the owner of...	1969-1971	April 02, 1929 (age 82)
Harvey L. Wollman Harvey L. Wollman Harvey Lowell Wollman was the 26th Governor of South Dakota. He was the first Lieutenant Governor in the history of South Dakota to move into the Governor's office. As of 2009, he is also the most recent Democrat to hold the title of South Dakota governor.Wollman was born in 1935 in Frankfort,...	1978–1979	May 14, 1935 (age 76)
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...	1979-1987; 1995–2003	September 13, 1939 (age 72)
Walter Dale Miller Walter Dale Miller Walter Dale "Walt" Miller is an American politician with the Republican Party. He served as 29th Governor of South Dakota from 1993 to 1995, having succeeded to office upon the death of George S...	1993–1995	October 05, 1925 (age 86)
Mike Rounds Mike Rounds Marion Michael "Mike" Rounds is an American politician. Rounds served as the 31st Governor of South Dakota. Rounds was first inaugurated on January 7, 2003, having been elected on November 5, 2002, and was re-elected on November 7, 2006...	2003–2011	October 24, 1954 (age 57)

List of South Dakota Governors

Other high offices held

Living former governors

See also