Congratulations to Kristi Noem, who was sworn in on January 5, 2019 as the 33rd Governor of South Dakota. Governor Noem’s … More
Category: Uncategorized
Governors after leaving office
On January 5, 2019, Gov. Dennis Daugaard will leave office as his successor, Kristi Noem, is sworn in as South … More
Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s portrait unveiled
The official portrait of Dennis Daugaard, the 32nd Governor of South Dakota, was unveiled this afternoon at the State Capitol. … More
Governor’s portrait collection
The South Dakota State Capitol features portraits of all thirty-two governors, from Arthur C. Mellette to Dennis Daugaard. These photographs … More
Party floor leaders in the SD Legislature
Updated to reflect caucus elections for 2019 legislative session. In Pierre, the day-to-day business of the State Legislature is managed … More
Noem is SD’s first female governor
Kristi Lynn Noem has been elected the 33rd Governor of South Dakota. The Hamlin County Republican and her running mate, … More
Turner County is SD GOV bellwether
During the primary, this blog identified Beadle and Davison counties as the best bellwethers for a Republican gubernatorial primary. That … More
Mike O’Connor dies
Michael J. O’Connor of Brandon died on October 24, 2018. O’Connor served in the State House of Representatives from 1971-72, … More
MAPS! (of general elections for SD Governor)
The general election contest between Republican Congresswoman Kristi Noem and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton is less than a month away. Polls indicate … More
South Dakota state symbols
On July 1, 2018, chislic officially became South Dakota’s state nosh. It is the most recent of many South Dakota … More
Closest elections for South Dakota governor
The closest gubernatorial election in South Dakota history was won by Populist Andrew E. Lee in 1896. Lee was a … More
Timeline of female “firsts” in SD politics
Updated to reflect results of 2018 election. In the 2018 election, Kristi Noem made history as the first woman to … More
Presidential visits to South Dakota
Fifteen sitting presidents have made a total of twenty-five visits to South Dakota. Since South Dakota became a state in 1889, … More
New Trail of Governors statues placed
The 2018 class of new Trail of Governors statues were placed on Tuesday, July 24:
Noem and Sutton a historically rural matchup
The 2018 gubernatorial election has had a noticeably rural feel. Candidates Kristi Noem, Billie Sutton and Marty Jackley have all … More
Farewell to Dave Kranz
I posted this on Facebook and thought I would share it here as well. I was sorry just now to … More
2018 SD GOP looks to extend its winning streak
This is an update of a post that was done prior to the 2016 general election. The South Dakota Republican … More
The many mustaches of SD Lt. Gov’s
South Dakota has had thirty-eight lieutenant governors. Twelve of them, or nearly one third, sported a mustache (using the Senate … More
Larry Rhoden is Noem’s running mate
Kristi Noem announced today her selection of Larry R. Rhoden as her running mate. She will ask the the State … More
New Trail of Governors statues
New statues (L to R in first picture) are Ralph Herseth, M. Q. Sharpe, and William McMaster.
Michelle Lavallee is Sutton’s running mate
Today, Billie Sutton announced that he will ask the State Democratic Convention to nominate Michelle Lavallee, of Sioux Falls, for … More
Gov. Ralph Herseth: Trail of Governors Class of 2018
On Friday, June 15, 2018, the Trail of Governors unveiled three new statues: William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe, and Ralph … More
Gov. M. Q. Sharpe: Trail of Governors Class of 2018
On Friday, June 15, 2018, the Trail of Governors unveiled three new statues: William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe, and … More
Gov. William H. McMaster: Trail of Governors Class of 2018
On Friday, June 15, 2018, the Trail of Governors unveiled three new statues: William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe, and … More
Libertarians and the modern history of minor party candidates for SD Governor
This weekend, the Libertarian Party of South Dakota made itself the first in 2018 to complete a gubernatorial ticket, nominating … More
Kristi and Dusty win: A few observations
Kristi Noem is the Republican nominee for Governor of South Dakota, and Dusty Johnson is the nominee for U. S. … More
Counties to watch on primary night
The 2018 Republican primary is fast approaching, and the gubernatorial matchup between Congresswoman Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley is … More
History in the making: 2018 primary
Here’s a look at some of the history that could be made in Tuesday’s GOP gubernatorial primary. If Kristi Noem … More
Closest gubernatorial primaries
With the 2018 Republican primary for governor one week away, the Argus Leader and Keloland-TV report a dead heat between … More
Uncontested nomination for Sutton
With the current focus on the Jackley–Noem primary in a few weeks, it is easy to forget that a third … More
SD Gov Nominees from West River
Billie Sutton, the Democratic Senate Minority Leader from Burke, is uncontested in the June primary for his party’s nomination to … More
MAPS! (of SD GOP gubernatorial primaries)
It is just over three weeks until the South Dakota’s Republican gubernatorial primary, which pits Congresswoman Kristi Noem against Attorney … More
Dusty and Shantel try to make history
Kristi Noem’s pursuit of the Governor’s Office leaves an open seat in Washington. Three Republicans – former Public Utilities Commissioner … More
AG’s and US Rep’s running for governor
The 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary pits Congresswoman Kristi Noem against Attorney General Marty Jackley. If elected, both would achieve certain … More
Those we lost on April 19, 1993
April 19, 1993 marks the 25th anniversary of the crash of the state plane near Dubuque, Iowa. The plane was … More
SD Attorneys General at the U.S. Supreme Court
Updated June 21, 2018 to reflect the State of South Dakota’s victory in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. On April 17, … More
LG-stakes: What history tells us about 2018 running mates
With the 2018 gubernatorial campaign coming into full swing, it’s not too early to start speculating about the candidates’ potential … More
Running mates in the primary
The campaign between Congresswoman Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley for the Republican gubernatorial nomination is heating up, and … More
Frank Farrar sets the pace
April 2, 2018 is Gov. Frank Farrar’s 89th birthday. Remarkably, 2018 is the 50th anniversary of Farrar’s 1968 election as … More
George S. Mickelson returns to the House
Updated with pictures of the final bust, which was unveiled on September 11, 2018. In just a few weeks, South … More
Dennis Daugaard historical milestones
As Governor Daugaard serves out his final year in office, here are some the historical milestones he has set. A number … More
Veterans who became Governor of SD
Twelve South Dakota governors served in the armed forces. The list included 5 U.S. Army veterans, 3 U.S. Navy veterans, … More
Harvey Wollman stands alone
It was good this week to see Gov. Harvey Wollman at the Buffalo Roundup in Custer State Park. Gov. Wollman … More
Old Bulls of the SD Legislature
Roger McKellips’ death last week was the latest signal of the passing of a by-gone era. Most of the longtime … More
On the lookout for biographies of SD governors
Biographies of South Dakota governors admittedly fill a niche-market. They are unlikely to sell millions of copies like John Adams, win … More
Roger D. McKellips 1923-2017
The Argus Leader reports that Roger D. McKellips passed away on Friday, August 18. McKellips, 94, was an Alcester banker … More
New Hall of Honor at State Capitol honors Medal of Honor recipients
Recently, the South Dakota Hall of Honor, which recognizes South Dakotans who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, was relocated … More
Trail of Governors selects class of 2018
This week, the Trail of Governors announced its class of 2018. Statues of William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe and Ralph … More
Lutherans most common among SD Governors
To date, South Dakota’s thirty-one governors have all considered themselves to be Christian. Twenty-nine of them have been members of … More
SD Governors’ alma maters
Of the 31 men who have served as Governor of South Dakota, 20 have held at least one college degree. … More
