Members of the South Dakota State Senate

These tables are historical listings of state senators who served in the South Dakota Senate from statehood in 1889 until the present.

Members of the South Dakota State Senate (1889–1939)

45 senators elected from 41 districts. Senators were elected from single-member districts, with five counties each electing two at-large senators. The number of senators was reduced to 43 senators from 1893 to 1899. A 42nd District was added in 1909.

Members of the South Dakota State Senate (1939–1967)

35 senators elected from 33 districts. Three counties each elected two at-large senators.

Members of the South Dakota State Senate (1967-Present)

35 senators elected from 35 single-member districts. From 1967 to 1973, there were only 29 districts, with three counties each electing more than one at-large member. District 29 was eliminated from 1973 to 1985, when it became District 11's fifth at-large seat. In 1985, all remaining multi-member districts were eliminated, establishing the current 35 single-member districts.

Footnotes

1. ↑ David H. Clark. Died in office March 7, 1891
2. ↑ Frank L. Boyce. Died in office December 19, 1896.
3. ↑ Martin E. Rudolph. Died in office March 28, 1903.
4. ↑ R. H. McCaughey. Died in office July 16, 1906.
5. ↑ Gilbert Thoreson. Died in office May 8, 1910
6. ↑ James W. Cone. Died in office October 10, 1913
7. ↑ Walter E. Van Demark. Died in office January 12, 1916.
8. ↑ Lewis John Larson. Died in office July 18, 1933
9. ↑ William Wallace Moyes. Died in office in 1930.
10. ↑ Martin Ingval Larsen. Died in office September 24, 1930.
11. ↑ Earl P. Flowers. Died in office August 23, 1934.
12. ↑ James Edwin Williams was elected to the Senate in 1933, but was unable to serve due to illness.
13. ↑ Mike Feeney. Died in office February 19, 1937.
14. ↑ Jessie E. Sanders. First woman elected to the South Dakota Senate.
15. ↑ L. A. Johnson. Resigned in 1957.
16. ↑ Charles S. Reed. Died in office February 9, 1947
17. ↑ Merton E. Neubauer. Died in office August 15, 1946.
18. ↑ V. D. Tidball. Died in office in 1946.
19. ↑ John Longstaff. Died in office June 3, 1946.
20. ↑ C. F. Manson. Elected to the Senate in 1947, but unable to serve due to illness.
21. ↑ Chester E. Solomonson. Died in office r 1952.
22. ↑ Joe E. Lehmann. Elected to the Senate in 1961, but failed to qualify. Wilbur Foss appointed to fill the vacancy.
23. ↑ Donald J. Stransky. Resigned in 1961.
24. ↑ Hagen Kelsey. Resigned in 1963.
25. ↑ Carroll Fullerton. Died in office October 1, 1961.
26. ↑ F.B. "Bob" Roberts. Appointed January 7, 1957 to fill the vacancy of L. A. Johnson.
27. ↑ Wilbur Foss. Appointed January 23, 1961 to fill the vacancy of Joe E. Lehmann. Served during the 38th Session of the Senate, and resigned in 1963.
28. ↑ Lars Gjesdal. Appointed July 12, 1961 to fill the vacancy of Donald J. Stransky.
29. ↑ Frank L. Hafner. Appointed November 6, 1961 to fill the vacancy of Carroll Fullerton.
30. ↑ Rayburn R. Rueb. Appointed September 24, 1963 to fill the vacancy of Wilbur Foss. Served during the 39th Session of the Senate.
31. ↑ Herbert A. Willoughby. Appointed July 13, 1963 to fill the vacancy of Hagen Kelsey.
32. ↑ Walter Vincent Nordstrom. Died in office May 29, 1967.
33. ↑ Robert William Hirsch. Resigned December 1969.
34. ↑ Clell D. Elwood. Resigned March 1967. Kenneth A. Trask was appointed to serve during the 43rd Session.
35. ↑ Henry T. Quinn. Appointed August 1, 1967 to fill the vacancy of Walter Vincent Nordstrom.
36. ↑ William R. Ripp. Appointed December 11, 1969 to fill the vacancy of Robert William Hirsch.
37. ↑ Kenneth A. Trask. Appointed March 23, 1967 to fill vacancy of Clell Elwood.
38. ↑ Eldon L. Smith. Died in office. Killed in the Rapid City flood of June 9, 1972.
39. ↑ Franklin Jay Wallahan. Resigned the summer of 1972.
40. ↑ Jacob Kunstle. Appointed July 18, 1972 to fill the vacancy of Eldon L. Smith.
41. ↑ Grace Mickelson. Appointed August 25, 1972 to fill the vacancy of Franklin Wallahan.
42. ↑ Michael J. O'Connor. Resigned April 1977.
43. ↑ This individual is the grandfather of Billie H Sutton, legislator starting in 2011
44. ↑ Mary A. McClure. Resigned April 10, 1989 to become Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs for President George H. W. Bush.
45. ↑ Marilynn Kelm. Resigned November 1975.
46. ↑ Jess Tjeerdsma. Died in office August 20, 1977.
47. ↑ Robert W. Kelly. Resigned in 1976. Harold Mortimer-(D) was appointed for the remainder of the 51st Session.
48. ↑ Elaine L. McCart. Appointed November 19, 1975 to fill the vacancy of Marilynn Kelm.
49. ↑ Robert K. Williams. Resigned November 15, 1983. E. C. Pieplow, who served from 1967 to 1976, was appointed November 28, 1983 to fill the vacancy for the 59th Session.
50. ↑ Jerome "Jerry" Mayer. Appointed May 13, 1977 to fill the vacancy of Michael J. O'Connor.
51. ↑ Robert "Bob" Lyons. Appointed October 7, 1977 to fill the vacancy of Jess Tjeerdsma.
52. ↑ David S. Laustsen. Resigned August 11, 1987.
53. ↑ Jack Manke. Died in office August 12, 1985.
54. ↑ William R. Taylor. Appointed August 11, 1987 to fill the vacancy of David S. Laustsen.
55. ↑ James W. Emery. Appointed December 18, 1985 to fill the vacancy of Jack Manke.
56. ↑ Scott N. Heidepriem. Appointed April 27, 1989 to fill the vacancy of Mary A. McClure.
57. ↑ Richard B. Negstad. Died in office January 11, 1997.
58. ↑ Leslie J. Kleven. Died in office April 19, 1995.
59. ↑ Jim D. Thompson. Served during the 70th, 71st, and 72nd Sessions. Resigned December 31, 1997.
60. ↑ Kermit Staggers. Served during the 70th through 76th Sessions. Resigned May 20, 2002.
61. ↑ Arnold M. Brown. Appointed January 22, 1997 to fill the vacancy of Richard B. Negstad.
62. ↑ Dave Munson. Served during the 72nd through 76th Sessions. Resigned May 12, 2002.
63. ↑ Dick Hainje. Resigned November 12, 2001. Appointed by President George W. Bush as Regional Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Region VII.
64. ↑ Marguerite Kleven. Appointed June 9, 1995 to fill the vacancy of her husband Leslie J. Kleven.
65. ↑ Donald "Don" Brosz. Appointed January 1, 1998 to fill the vacancy of Jim D. Thompson.
66. ↑ Larry Diedrich. Resigned January 26, 2004 to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Al Kurtenbach-(R) was appointed January 27, 2004 for the remainder of the 79th Session.
67. ↑ Dan Sutton. Resigned November 14, 2006. Re-elected to the 82nd and 83rd Sessions November 7, 2006.
68. ↑ Rebekah A. Cradduck. Appointed December 4, 2001 to fill the vacancy of Dick Hainje.
69. ↑ Dick M. Kelly. Appointed July 1, 2002 to fill the vacancy of Kermit Staggers.
70. ↑ Richard E. "Dick" Hagen. Died in office September 22, 2002. Elected to the Senate posthumously.
71. ↑ Gene G. Abdallah. Appointed July 1, 2002 to fill the vacancy of Dave Munson.
72. ↑ Mike Jaspers. Appointed January 7, 2003 to fill the vacancy of Mitch Richter, who was elected in 2003 but never served.
73. ↑ Michael LaPointe. Appointed January 7, 2003 to fill the vacancy of Dick Hagen.
74. ↑ J. P. Duniphan. Defeated in 2006 Republican Primary by Dennis Schmidt-(R).
75. ↑ Stan Adelstein. Defeated in 2006 Republican Primary by Elli Schwiesow-(R).
76. ↑ Scott N. Heidepriem. Previously served 1990–1992 as a Republican from the 5th District.
77. ↑ Appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard to replace Cooper Garnos after 2011 session.
78. ↑ Appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard to replace Russel Olson after 2013 session.
79. ↑ Appointed by Governor Dennis Daugaard to replace J. Mark Johnston after 2013 session.
80. ↑ Appointed by Governator Dennis Daugaard to replace Stan Adelstein after 2013 session.

Sources

• South Dakota Secretary of State – 2005 South Dakota Legislative Manual
• South Dakota Secretary of State – Past Elections
• South Dakota Legislature – Legislator Historical Listing

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