Oldest and Youngest SD GOV’s

The three major candidates for Governor of South Dakota are Republicans Kristi Noem and Marty Jackley and Democrat Billie Sutton.  In earlier posts, this blog looked at various historical milestones each candidate has reached, or would reach if elected.  (You can see those here:  Jackley, Noem, and Sutton.)

Although Sutton is an underdog to the eventual Republican nominee, if elected he would set a milestone as the youngest governor in South Dakota history, taking office at age 34 and breaking Richard F. Kneip’s record of 37.  This potential milestone has been mentioned by bloggers including Tom Lawrence and Cory Heidelberger.

Heidelberger also calculated the age of each governor upon assuming office.  A similar chart is provided below, ranking each of the state’s 32 governors by age:

#	Governor	Date of birth	Date of inaugural	Age at inaugural
29	Walter Dale Miller	October 05, 1925	April 19, 1993	67 yrs, 196 days
13	Warren E. Green	March 10, 1869	January 06, 1931	61 yrs, 302 days
11	Carl Gunderson	June 20, 1864	January 06, 1925	60 yrs, 200 days
12	W. J. Bulow	January 13, 1869	January 04, 1927	57 yrs, 356 days
32	Dennis Daugaard	June 11, 1953	January 08, 2011	57 yrs, 211 days
16	Harlan J. Bushfield	August 06, 1882	January 03, 1939	56 yrs, 150 days
30	William J. Janklow	September 13, 1939	January 07, 1995	55 yrs, 116 days
17	M. Q. Sharpe	January 11, 1888	January 05, 1943	54 yrs, 359 days
8	Frank M. Byrne	October 23, 1858	January 07, 1913	54 yrs, 76 days
14	Tom Berry	April 23, 1879	January 03, 1933	53 yrs, 255 days
2	Charles H. Sheldon	September 12, 1840	January 03, 1893	52 yrs, 113 days
23	Nils A. Boe	September 10, 1913	January 05, 1965	51 yrs, 117 days
7	Robert S. Vessey	May 16, 1858	January 05, 1909	50 yrs, 234 days
22	Archie Gubbrud	December 31, 1910	January 03, 1961	50 yrs, 3 days
3	Andrew E. Lee	March 18, 1847	January 01, 1897	49 yrs, 289 days
21	Ralph E. Herseth	July 02, 1909	January 06, 1959	49 yrs, 188 days
6	Coe I. Crawford	January 14, 1858	January 08, 1907	48 yrs, 359 days
5	Samuel H. Elrod	May 01, 1856	January 03, 1905	48 yrs, 247 days
31	M. Michael Rounds	October 24, 1954	January 07, 2003	48 yrs, 75 days
1	Arthur C. Mellette	June 23, 1842	November 02, 1889	47 yrs, 132 days
19	Sigurd Anderson	January 22, 1904	January 02, 1951	46 yrs, 345 days
9	Peter Norbeck	August 27, 1870	January 07, 1917	46 yrs, 133 days
28	George S. Mickelson	January 31, 1941	January 06, 1987	45 yrs, 340 days
15	Leslie Jensen	September 15, 1892	January 05, 1937	44 yrs, 112 days
10	William H. McMaster	May 10, 1877	January 04, 1921	43 yrs, 239 days
18	George T. Mickelson	July 23, 1903	January 07, 1947	43 yrs, 168 days
4	Charles N. Herreid	October 20, 1857	January 08, 1901	43 yrs, 80 days
26	Harvey L. Wollman	May 14, 1935	July 24, 1978	43 yrs, 71 days
24	Frank Farrar	April 02, 1929	January 07, 1969	39 yrs, 280 days
20	Joe Foss	April 17, 1915	January 04, 1955	39 yrs, 262 days
27	William J. Janklow	September 13, 1939	January 01, 1979	39 yrs, 110 days
25	Richard F. Kneip	January 07, 1933	January 05, 1971	37 yrs, 363 days

Notes:  This chart calculates the age at which each governor first took office.  It does not include second or third consecutive terms.  William J. Janklow is listed twice – once when he took office in 1979, and again when he returned to office in 1995.  Unlike Heidelberger’s chart, this chart does not attempt to include “months” in the age, as a “month” is not a standard length.

SD’s oldest governor, Walter Dale Miller

The oldest governor, Walter Dale Miller, was 67 when he succeeded to office upon the death of Gov. George S. Mickelson.  The oldest elected governor was Warren E. Green, who was 61 when he took office in 1931.  The three oldest elected governors – Gunderson, Bulow, and Green, served in a row from 1925 to 1933.

Likewise, three of the four youngest governors – Farrar, Kneip, and Janklow – were elected consecutively in the 1960s and 1970s.

Here is the same chart again, inserting Noem, Jackley, and Sutton in their prospective places:

#	Governor	Date of birth	Date of inaugural	Age at inaugural
29	Walter Dale Miller	October 05, 1925	April 19, 1993	67 yrs, 196 days
13	Warren E. Green	March 10, 1869	January 06, 1931	61 yrs, 302 days
11	Carl Gunderson	June 20, 1864	January 06, 1925	60 yrs, 200 days
12	W. J. Bulow	January 13, 1869	January 04, 1927	57 yrs, 356 days
32	Dennis Daugaard	June 11, 1953	January 08, 2011	57 yrs, 211 days
16	Harlan J. Bushfield	August 06, 1882	January 03, 1939	56 yrs, 150 days
30	William J. Janklow	September 13, 1939	January 07, 1995	55 yrs, 116 days
17	M. Q. Sharpe	January 11, 1888	January 05, 1943	54 yrs, 359 days
8	Frank M. Byrne	October 23, 1858	January 07, 1913	54 yrs, 76 days
14	Tom Berry	April 23, 1879	January 03, 1933	53 yrs, 255 days
2	Charles H. Sheldon	September 12, 1840	January 03, 1893	52 yrs, 113 days
23	Nils A. Boe	September 10, 1913	January 05, 1965	51 yrs, 117 days
7	Robert S. Vessey	May 16, 1858	January 05, 1909	50 yrs, 234 days
22	Archie Gubbrud	December 31, 1910	January 03, 1961	50 yrs, 3 days
3	Andrew E. Lee	March 18, 1847	January 01, 1897	49 yrs, 289 days
21	Ralph E. Herseth	July 02, 1909	January 06, 1959	49 yrs, 188 days
6	Coe I. Crawford	January 14, 1858	January 08, 1907	48 yrs, 359 days
5	Samuel H. Elrod	May 01, 1856	January 03, 1905	48 yrs, 247 days
33?	Marty J. Jackley	October 13, 1970	January 05, 2019	48 yrs, 84 days
31	M. Michael Rounds	October 24, 1954	January 07, 2003	48 yrs, 75 days
1	Arthur C. Mellette	June 23, 1842	November 02, 1889	47 yrs, 132 days
33?	Kristi Noem	November 30, 1971	January 05, 2019	47 yrs, 36 days
19	Sigurd Anderson	January 22, 1904	January 02, 1951	46 yrs, 345 days
9	Peter Norbeck	August 27, 1870	January 07, 1917	46 yrs, 133 days
28	George S. Mickelson	January 31, 1941	January 06, 1987	45 yrs, 340 days
15	Leslie Jensen	September 15, 1892	January 05, 1937	44 yrs, 112 days
10	William H. McMaster	May 10, 1877	January 04, 1921	43 yrs, 239 days
18	George T. Mickelson	July 23, 1903	January 07, 1947	43 yrs, 168 days
4	Charles N. Herreid	October 20, 1857	January 08, 1901	43 yrs, 80 days
26	Harvey L. Wollman	May 14, 1935	July 24, 1978	43 yrs, 71 days
24	Frank Farrar	April 02, 1929	January 07, 1969	39 yrs, 280 days
20	Joe Foss	April 17, 1915	January 04, 1955	39 yrs, 262 days
27	William J. Janklow	September 13, 1939	January 01, 1979	39 yrs, 110 days
25	Richard F. Kneip	January 07, 1933	January 05, 1971	37 yrs, 363 days
33?	Billie H. Sutton	March 16, 1984	January 05, 2019	34 yrs, 295 days

Sutton would be 34 years, 295 days old – more than three years younger than Dick Kneip was – if he took office on January 5, 2019.  (Although a new governor can take office any time after the New Year, traditionally the inauguration is held on the first Saturday in January.)

Noem would be 47 years, 36 days old, and as the first female governor she would nearly the same age as the first male governor, Arthur C. Mellette, who was also 47 when he took office on the day that South Dakota became a state, November 2, 1889.

Jackley would be 48 years, 84 days old, only 9 days older than Mike Rounds when he took office in 2003.  Jackley first came to Pierre in 2009 when Gov. Rounds appointed him as attorney general to replace Larry Long, who had been appointed a circuit judge.

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SD GOV 2018: Marty Jackley milestones

The race is on to succeed Dennis Daugaard as the 33rd Governor of South Dakota. The gubernatorial primary is just over a year away, on June 5, 2018.

The leading Republican contenders are Congresswoman Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley.  Two other Republican candidates are former legislator Lora Hubbel and Sioux Falls attorney Terry LaFleur. House Speaker Mark Mickelson and Lt. Governor Matt Michels have both announced that they will not run for governor. 

The only announced Democratic candidate is Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton. Another potential candidate, Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether, has not announced his intentions.

In successive posts, this blog will look at milestones, and prospective milestones, set by Jackley, Noem and Sutton.

Marty Jackley

• Although currently a resident of Pierre, where he serves as attorney general, Jackley is a native of Sturgis. He would be the 1st governor from Sturgis, and the 2nd from Meade County, following Walter Dale Miller.
• Jackley would be the 5th West River governor, following Tom Berry (Mellette County), Leslie Jensen (Hot Springs), M. Q. Sharpe (Kennebec), and Walter Dale Miller (Meade County). Jackley would be the 1st West River native to be elected governor since M. Q. Sharpe, who was elected in 1942 and reelected in 1944.
• Jackley is the 5th native of Meade County to run for governor, following Carv Thompson, a Faith pharmacist who lost to Kneip in 1972; Bob Samuelson, a Faith rancher who was the Democratic challenger to George S. Mickelson in 1990; Gov. Walter Dale Miller, who succeeded to office and lost the 1994 Republican primary to Bill Janklow; and Libertarian Tom Gerber (Sturgis), who was his party’s nominee in 2006.
• Jackley would be the 1st “Hardrocker” governor – he is a graduate of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He would be the 2nd governor to hold an engineering degree; Carl Gunderson held a degree in civil engineering.  Jackley would be the 11th to be a graduate of USD, where he got his law degree, and the 8th to be a graduate of the USD School of Law. He would be the 2nd governor to hold degrees from two different universities, following Dennis Daugaard (USD & Northwestern), and the first to hold two degree from two in-state institutions.
• Jackley would be the 3rd Roman Catholic governor, following Richard F. Kneip and Mike Rounds.
• Jackley would be 1st former U.S. Attorney to serve as governor, and the 7th attorney general, following Coe Crawford, M. Q. Sharpe, George T. Mickelson, Sigurd Anderson, Frank Farrar and Bill Janklow. He would be the 10th governor to lack experience in a territorial or state legislature.
• Jackley is already the second longest-serving attorney general in the state’s history. He was appointed by Gov. Mike Rounds in 2009 to replace Attorney General Larry Long, who had resigned to become a circuit judge. Jackley was reelected in 2010 and 2014, which means he will have served 9 1/2 years as AG when he completes his current term. Only Mark Barnett, who served 12 years from 1991-2003, held the office for longer.
• Jackley would be the 16th attorney to serve as governor.
• If he prevails, Jackley’s election would continue the streak of Republican control of the South Dakota governor’s office that began in 1979. This period of control – 40 years as of the end of the Daugaard administration – is the longest in South Dakota history, and the longest current streak in the nation. It would be the 11th straight election victory by the Republican candidate for governor – the only longer streak is 13 straight elections from 1900 to 1924 (during the two-year term era).
• If the general election pits Democrat Sutton against Republican Marty Jackley, it will be only the second time that the general election for governor features two West River nominees. The only other time was 1936, when Republican Hot Springs businessman Leslie Jensen successfully challenged Democratic Gov. Tom Berry, a White River rancher who was running for an unprecedented third term.