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 … More

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 … More

This morning, Tom Lawrence has an excellent historical article, looking at U.S. Senator John Thune’s upcoming decision as to whether … More

The news today reports that Steven G. Haugaard will challenge Governor Kristi Noem in the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary. The … More

This is an update of a post that was written prior to the 2018 general election. The 2020 election marks … More

On January 5, 2019, Gov. Dennis Daugaard will leave office as his successor, Kristi Noem, is sworn in as South … More

The 2018 class of new Trail of Governors statues were placed on Tuesday, July 24:

This is an update of a post that was done prior to the 2016 general election. The South Dakota Republican … More

New statues (L to R in first picture) are Ralph Herseth, M. Q. Sharpe, and William McMaster.

On Friday, June 15, 2018, the Trail of Governors unveiled three new statues: William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe, and … More

This week, the Trail of Governors announced its class of 2018. Statues of William H. McMaster, M. Q. Sharpe and Ralph … More

This is the fourth of several posts previewing the Tuesday election through a historical lens. The first part was an introduction; the second … More