“Run with the Govs” slated for June 17

The annual “Run with the Govs,” a 3.5-mile run or walk, will be held in Pierre during its annual Oahe …

Guest post: ChatGPT on Peter Norbeck

Last month, this blogger asked ChatGPT to write a post about South Dakota’s youngest and oldest governors. The experiment was …

Governor Noem pays tribute to Sheila Bonrud

Governor Kristi Noem’s weekly column today is a remembrance of Sheila Bonrud: Remembering Sheila By Gov. Kristi Noem It is …

Remembering Sheila Bonrud

Sheila Bonrud passed away on Wednesday morning, May 17, 2023, at the age of 81. Sheila wasn’t a public figure …

South Dakota Law Review focuses on Ravnsborg impeachment

Volume 68, Issue 2 of The South Dakota Law Review is out, and it features numerous articles on the impeachment …

Kevin Woster column highlights Trail of Governors

Last week, Kevin Woster and I took a walk along the Trail of Governors in Pierre. Kevin wrote a great …

SD Gov comebacks

Grover Cleveland, as every grade schooler learns, is the only U.S. President to serve two non-consecutive terms. Bill Janklow is …

Oldest and Youngest SD Govs: Now on the Online Almanac

Added today to the Online Almanac of South Dakota Politics: a ranked list of South Dakota governors by age at …

Herseth post featured in “The Dakota Scout”

Another issue of The Dakota Scout has hit the newsstands, once again featuring content from this blog. The Apri l20-26, 2023 includes …

George S. Mickelson died 30 years ago today

April 19, 1993 is a date that is etched in the mind of many South Dakotans. It was on the …

Farewell to Randy Seiler

The sad news comes that Randy Seiler, the former United States Attorney and outgoing chairman of the South Dakota Democratic …

Guest post: ChatGPT writes about South Dakota’s governors

This blogger is always looking for ways to save time, so I thought the time might be right to turn …

Maps of every SD Gov election added to Online Almanac

New this week, the Online Almanac of South Dakota Politics has added county-by-county maps depicting the results of every general …

A new leadership role for Tim Rave

This week, former legislator Tim Rave of Baltic was elected to a one-year term as president of the South Dakota …

In search of Ralph Herseth

A fortuitous Facebook post answered a question that had been lingering in this blogger’s mind for several years. First a …

Bulow memoirs featured in SOUTH DAKOTA MAGAZINE

The March/April edition of South Dakota Magazine includes a short feature about William J. Bulow, South Dakota’s first Democratic governor. …

Jack Billion, 2006 Dem nominee for governor, dies

Dr. Jack Billion, the 2006 Democratic nominee for governor, passed away on Saturday. An orthopedic surgeon and U.S. Air Force …

Jim Abourezk, 92 today, passes on

Jim Abourezk, a brash and outspoken attorney who served South Dakota in the U.S. Senate, died today on his 92nd …

John Thune recognizes Jim Abdnor at 100

Jim Abdnor was born on February 13, 1923 in Kennebec. Abdnor was a consummate politician and “people person” and one …

“The Dakota Scout” features SoDakGovs post on Hoghouse

Amidst its fine coverage of the South Dakota State Legislature, this week’s print edition of The Dakota Scout once again features content …

South Dakota and the Super Bowl

Super Bowl LVII, played today at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is a matchup between two of the league’s …

Guest post: Women in SD politics

State Sen. Erin Tobin of Winner is the prime sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 505, a proposed constitutional amendment that …

The origin of the “Hoghouse” in the South Dakota State Legislature

As with any institution, the South Dakota State Legislature has its own traditions, procedures, and jargon. Many are common to …

Senate makes history in action against Frye-Mueller

On Wednesday and Thursday, the South Dakota State Senate acted against Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller for what the Argus Leader described …

Kristi Noem sworn in for second term

Governor Kristi Noem took her oath of office today, officially beginning her second term as South Dakota’s 33rd governor and …

South Dakota History in 2022

As the year comes to a close, we think back on the year that was. We saw new arrivals and …

Daschle at 75

Thomas A. Daschle was born in Aberdeen on December 9, 1947 – today is his 75th birthday. Daschle is a …

Kristin Anderson passes on

I was sorry to see news of the passing of Kristin Anderson, the only child of Gov. Sigurd and Vivian …

Guest post: Technology’s effect on the Legislature: Doing the people’s work in the modern age

A guest post by Augustana University student and 2022 legislative intern Noah Greble. We often reflect on the ways that …

THE GOVERNORS OF SOUTH DAKOTA back in print with 2022 updates

With the 2022 election behind us, I now have available updated copies of my book, The Governors of South Dakota. …

SD House Republicans pick leadership team

Tuesday’s general election delivered Republicans a 63-7 majority in the State House of Representatives – a gain of one seat and …

SoDakGovs featured in “The Dakota Scout”

This week’s print edition of The Dakota Scout once again features content from this blog. The November 17-23, 2022 includes …

Debra Anderson, SD’s only female House Speaker, passes on

Debra Anderson, a former South Dakota state representative and the only woman to serve as speaker of the South Dakota …

SD Democrats elect legislative leadership

Democratic legislators have elected their leaders for the next two years. Leading the minority caucus in the Senate will be …

SD Senate Republicans elect new leaders

Tuesday’s general election delivered Republicans a 31-4 majority in the State Senate – a loss of one seat but still …

Women and tribal members reach new highs in solidly Republican SD Legislature

The 2022 general election is in the books, and voters have once again elected Republican supermajorities to the South Dakota …

Noem wins big as Republicans dominate in SD

The storyline from Election Day 2022 is a familiar one in South Dakota – a big win for Republicans up …

A historic win for John Thune

U.S. Senator John Thune celebrated a big reelection win yesterday, winning a fourth term against challenger Brian Bengs with approximately …

SoDakGovs debuts Online Almanac of South Dakota politics

Just in time for the 2022 general election, SoDakGovs is launching an Online Almanac of South Dakota politics. Since this …

Republicans gain in voter registration

The lead-up to the 2022 general election has generated renewed discussion about the Republican Party’s advantage in voter registration in …

2022 Election Preview

This Tuesday, November 8 is Election Day. Every election makes history, and this year’s election will be no exception. The …

Partisan control of the South Dakota State Legislature (2022)

This is an update of a post first written prior to the 2016 general election, and last updated with the …

John Thune set to make history

With Election Day just over a week away, U.S. Senator John Thune is strongly favored to win reelection, with a …

Can a Sioux Falls candidate get elected governor?

South Dakota voters head to the polls in less than two weeks, and the marquee race is the contest between …

Dems duck Dusty, again

In 2020, Congressman Dusty Johnson made history by running for U.S. house from South Dakota without a major party opponent. …

Will the SD GOP winning streak continue in 2022?

This is an update of a post that was written prior to the 2020 general election. The 2022 election marks twelve years …

Five Guvs at the State Capitol

The South Dakota State Capitol is a special place. It’s a place where South Dakotans gather to discuss issues and …

Reaction to Gov. Wollman’s death

South Dakota political leaders have offered their condolences on the passing of Harvey Wollman, 26th Governor of South Dakota. Gov. …

Tom Lawrence on Harvey Wollman

Tom Lawrence is a longtime political reporter and columnist in South Dakota. His current publication, The South Dakota Standard, is …

Official statement from Gov. Wollman’s family

Note: This statement was issued on behalf of the Wollman family by Jody Severson, who served in Governor Wollman’s administration …