List of Governors of South Dakota

This is a list of Governors of South Dakota

List of South Dakota Governors

Parties

      Fusion (Democratic/Populist)       Democratic       Republican

Number of Governors of South Dakota by party affiliation
Party Governors
Republican 26
Democratic 5
Populist 1
# Governor Term Party Life City elected from Notes
1 Arthur C. Mellette March 22, 1889 – January 3, 1893 Republican 1842–1896 Watertown [1]
2 Charles H. Sheldon January 3, 1893 – January 1, 1897 Republican 1840–1898 Pierpont
3 Andrew E. Lee January 1, 1897 – January 8, 1901 Populist 1847–1934 Vermillion
4 Charles N. Herreid January 8, 1901 – January 3, 1905 Republican 1857–1928 Eureka
5 Samuel H. Elrod January 3, 1905 – January 8, 1907 Republican 1856–1935 Clark
6 Coe I. Crawford January 8, 1907 – January 5, 1909 Republican 1858–1944 Huron
7 Robert S. Vessey January 5, 1909 – January 7, 1913 Republican 1858–1929 Wessington Springs
8 Frank M. Byrne January 7, 1913 – January 2, 1917 Republican 1858–1927 Faulkton [2]
9 Peter Norbeck January 2, 1917 – January 4, 1921 Republican 1870–1936 Redfield
10 William H. McMaster January 4, 1921 – January 6, 1925 Republican 1877–1968 Yankton
11 Carl Gunderson January 6, 1925 – January 4, 1927 Republican 1864–1933 Mitchell
12 William J. Bulow January 4, 1927 – January 6, 1931 Democratic 1869–1960 Beresford
13 Warren Green January 6, 1931 – January 3, 1933 Republican 1870–1945 Hazel
14 Tom Berry January 3, 1933 – January 5, 1937 Democratic 1879–1951 Belvidere
15 Leslie Jensen January 5, 1937 – January 3, 1939 Republican 1892–1964 Hot Springs
16 Harlan J. Bushfield January 3, 1939 – January 5, 1943 Republican 1882–1948 Miller
17 Merrill Q. Sharpe January 5, 1943 – January 7, 1947 Republican 1883–1962 Kennebec
18 George T. Mickelson January 7, 1947 – January 2, 1951 Republican 1903–1965 Selby
19 Sigurd Anderson January 2, 1951 – January 4, 1955 Republican 1904–1990 Webster
20 Joe Foss January 4, 1955 – January 6, 1959 Republican 1915–2003 Sioux Falls
21 Ralph Herseth January 6, 1959 – January 3, 1961 Democratic 1909–1969 Houghton
22 Archie M. Gubbrud January 3, 1961 – January 5, 1965 Republican 1910–1987 Alcester
23 Nils Boe January 5, 1965 – January 7, 1969 Republican 1913–1992 Sioux Falls
24 Frank Farrar January 7, 1969 – January 5, 1971 Republican 1929– Britton
25 Richard F. Kneip January 5, 1971 – July 24, 1978 Democratic 1933–1987 Salem [3]
26 Harvey L. Wollman July 24, 1978 – January 1, 1979 Democratic 1935– Hitchcock
27 William J. Janklow January 1, 1979 – January 6, 1987 Republican 1939–2012 Flandreau
28 George S. Mickelson January 6, 1987 – April 19, 1993 Republican 1941–1993 Brookings [4]
29 Walter Dale Miller April 19, 1993 – January 7, 1995 Republican 1925– New Underwood
30 William J. Janklow January 7, 1995 – January 7, 2003 Republican 1939–2012 Brandon
31 M. Michael Rounds January 7, 2003 – January 8, 2011 Republican 1954– Pierre
32 Dennis Daugaard January 8, 2011 – present Republican 1953– Garretson

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.

Governor Gubernatorial term U.S. Congress Other offices held
House Senate
Coe I. Crawford 1907–1909 S
Peter Norbeck 1917–1921 S
William H. McMaster 1921–1925 S
William J. Bulow 1927–1931 S
Harlan J. Bushfield 1939–1943 S
Richard F. Kneip 1971–1978 United States Ambassador to Singapore*
Bill Janklow 1979–1987
1995–2003		 H
Mike Rounds 2003–2011 S

Living former governors

As of May 2015, four former governors were alive, the oldest being Walter Dale Miller (1993–1995, born 1925). The most recent governor to die was Bill Janklow (1979–1987, 1995–2003), on January 12, 2012. The most recent governor to die in office was George S. Mickelson, who was killed in a plane crash on April 19, 1993.

GovernorGubernatorial termDate of birth
Frank Farrar 1969–1971 April 2, 1929
Harvey L. Wollman 1978–1979 May 14, 1935
Walter Dale Miller 1993–1995 October 5, 1925
Mike Rounds 2003–2011 October 24, 1954

Notes

  1. ↑ Mellette was the final governor of the Dakota Territory prior to his election as the first Governor of South Dakota.
  2. ↑ Won over James Wallace McCarter
  3. ↑ Kneip resigned to become Ambassador to Singapore on July 24, 1978; he was succeeded by Harvey L. Wollman.
  4. ↑ Mickelson was killed in a plane crash on April 19, 1993; he was succeeded by Walter Dale Miller.

See also