Current delegation

South Dakota was admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, and elects U.S. senators to Class 2 and Class 3. Its current U.S. senators are Republicans John Thune (since 2005) and Mike Rounds (since 2015). Karl E. Mundt is South Dakota's longest-serving senator (1948–1973).

List of senators

Class 2

Class 2 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2020. The next election will be in 2026.

C

Class 3

Class 3 U.S. senators belong to the electoral cycle that has recently been contested in 2004, 2010, 2016, and 2022. The next election will be in 2028.

# Senator Party Dates in office Electoral history T T Electoral history Dates in office Party Senator #
1
RichardFPettigrew.jpg

Richard Pettigrew
Republican Nov 2, 1889 –
Mar 3, 1901
Elected in 1889. 1 51st 1 Elected in 1889.
Lost re-election.
Nov 2, 1889 –
Mar 3, 1891
Republican
GideonMoody.jpg

Gideon Moody
1
52nd 2 Elected in 1891.[1] Mar 4, 1891 –
Jul 1, 1901
Independent
James Henderson Kyle.jpg

James H. Kyle
2
53rd Populist
Re-elected in 1894.
Lost re-election.
2 54th
Silver
Republican
55th 3 Re-elected in 1897.[2]
Died.
56th
2
Robert Gamble.jpg

Robert J. Gamble
Republican Mar 4, 1901 –
Mar 3, 1913
Elected in 1901.[3] 3 57th Republican
  Jul 1, 1901 –
Jul 11, 1901
Vacant
Appointed to continue Kyle's term.
Elected in 1903 to finish Kyle's term.[4]
Jul 11, 1901 –
Mar 3, 1909
Republican
Kittredgealfred.jpg

Alfred B. Kittredge
3
58th 4 Elected to a full term in 1903.[5]
Lost renomination.
59th
Re-elected in 1907.
Lost renomination.
4 60th
61st 5 Elected in 1909.
Lost renomination.
Mar 4, 1909 –
Mar 3, 1915
Republican
Crawfordcoe.jpg

Coe Crawford
4
62nd
3
ThomasSterling.jpg

Thomas Sterling
Republican Mar 4, 1913 –
Mar 3, 1925
Elected in 1913. 5 63rd
64th 6 Elected in 1914.
Retired.
Mar 4, 1915 –
Mar 3, 1921
Democratic
ESJohnson.jpg

Edwin S. Johnson
5
65th
Re-elected in 1918.
Lost renomination.
6 66th
67th 7 Elected in 1920. Mar 4, 1921 –
Dec 20, 1936
Republican
PeterNorbeck R-SD.jpg

Peter Norbeck
6
68th
4
WHMcMaster.jpg

William McMaster
Republican Mar 4, 1925 –
Mar 3, 1931
Elected in 1924.
Lost re-election.
7 69th
70th 8 Re-elected in 1926.
71st
5
William John Bulow.jpg

William J. Bulow
Democratic Mar 4, 1931 –
Jan 3, 1943
Elected in 1930. 8 72nd
73rd 9 Re-elected in 1932.
Died.
74th
  Dec 20, 1936 –
Dec 29, 1936
Vacant
Appointed to continue Norbeck's term.
Lost election to finish Norbeck's term.
Dec 29, 1936 –
Nov 8, 1938
Democratic
Herbert Emery Hitchcock.jpg

Herbert Hitchcock
7
Re-elected in 1936.
Lost renomination.
9 75th
Elected to finish Norbeck's term.
Retired.
Nov 9, 1938 –
Jan 3, 1939
Republican
Gladys Pyle.jpg

Gladys Pyle
8
76th 10 Elected in 1938. Jan 3, 1939 –
Jan 3, 1951
Republican
John Chandler Gurney.jpg

John Gurney
9
77th
6
BushfieldH.jpg

Harlan Bushfield
Republican Jan 3, 1943 –
Sep 27, 1948
Elected in 1942.
Died.
10 78th
79th 11 Re-elected in 1944.
Lost renomination.
80th
Vacant Sep 27, 1948 –
Oct 6, 1948
 
7
SenatorVeraBushfield(R-SD).jpg

Vera Bushfield
Republican Oct 6, 1948 –
Dec 26, 1948
Appointed to finish her husband's term.
Resigned when successor appointed.
Vacant Dec 26, 1948 –
Dec 31, 1948
 
8
KarlEarlMundt.jpeg

Karl Mundt
Republican Dec 31, 1948 –
Jan 3, 1973
Appointed to finish Bushfield's term, having been elected to the next term.
Elected in 1948 11 81st
82nd 12 Elected in 1950. Jan 3, 1951 –
Jun 22, 1962
Republican
Francis Higbee Case.jpg

Francis Case
10
83rd
Re-elected in 1954. 12 84th
85th 13 Re-elected in 1956.
Died.
86th
Re-elected in 1960. 13 87th
  Jun 22, 1962 –
Jul 9, 1962
Vacant
Appointed to finish Case's term.
Lost election to full term.
Jul 9, 1962 –
Jan 3, 1963
Republican
Bottum.jpg

Joseph H. Bottum
11
88th 14 Elected in 1962. Jan 3, 1963 –
Jan 3, 1981
Democratic
George McGovern bioguide.jpg

George McGovern
12
89th
Re-elected in 1966.
Retired.
14 90th
91st 15 Re-elected in 1968.
92nd
9
James Abourezk.jpg

James Abourezk
Democratic Jan 3, 1973 –
Jan 3, 1979
Elected in 1972.
Retired.
15 93rd
94th 16 Re-elected in 1974.
Lost re-election.
95th
10
Larry Pressler.jpg

Larry Pressler
Republican Jan 3, 1979 –
Jan 3, 1997
Elected in 1978. 16 96th
97th 17 Elected in 1980.
Lost re-election.
Jan 3, 1981 –
Jan 3, 1987
Republican
JamesAbdnor.jpg

James Abdnor
13
98th
Re-elected in 1984. 17 99th
100th 18 Elected in 1986. Jan 3, 1987 –
Jan 3, 2005
Democratic
Tom Daschle, official Senate photo.jpg

Tom Daschle
14
101st
Re-elected in 1990.
Lost re-election.
18 102nd
103rd 19 Re-elected in 1992.
104th
11
Tim Johnson official portrait, 2009.jpg

Tim Johnson
Democratic Jan 3, 1997 –
Jan 3, 2015
Elected in 1996. 19 105th
106th 20 Re-elected in 1998.
Lost re-election.
107th
Re-elected in 2002. 20 108th
109th 21 Elected in 2004. Jan 3, 2005 –
Present
Republican
John Thune, official portrait, 111th Congress.jpg

John Thune
15
110th
Re-elected in 2008.
Retired.
21 111th
112th 22 Re-elected in 2010.
113th
12
Mike Rounds official Senate portrait.jpg

Mike Rounds
Republican Jan 3, 2015 –
Present
Elected in 2014. 22 114th
115th 23 Re-elected in 2016.
116th
Re-elected in 2020. 23 117th
118th 24 Re-elected in 2022.
119th
To be determined in the 2026 election. 24 120th
121st 25 To be determined in the 2028 election.
# Senator Party Years in office Electoral history T   T Electoral history Years in office Party Senator #
Class 2 Class 3

Living former senators

As of December 2022, there are four living former U.S. senators from South Dakota. The most recent senator to die was George McGovern (served 1963–1981) on October 21, 2012. The most recently serving senator to die was James Abdnor (served 1981–1987) on May 16, 2012.

Senator Term of office Date of birth (and age)
James Abourezk 1973–1979 (1931-02-24) February 24, 1931 (age 91)
Larry Pressler 1979–1997 (1942-03-29) March 29, 1942 (age 80)
Tom Daschle 1987–2005 (1947-12-09) December 9, 1947 (age 75)
Tim Johnson 1997–2015 (1946-12-28) December 28, 1946 (age 75)

Superlatives

Longest service

Senator First served Last served Length of service
Karl E. Mundt December 31, 1948 January 3, 1973 24 years, 3 days
(8,769 days)
George McGovern January 3, 1963 January 3, 1981 18 years, 0 days
(6,575 days)
Larry Pressler January 3, 1979 January 3, 1997 18 years, 0 days
(6,575 days)
Tom Daschle January 3, 1987 January 3, 2005 18 years, 0 days
(6,575 days)
Tim Johnson January 3, 1997 January 3, 2015 18 years, 0 days
(6,574 days)

Shortest service

Senator First served Last served Length of service
Gladys Pyle November 9, 1938 January 3, 1939 1 month, 3 weeks and 4 days
(55 days)
Vera C. Bushfield October 6, 1948 December 26, 1948 2 months, 2 weeks and 6 days
(81 days)
Joseph H. Bottum July 9, 1962 January 3, 1963 5 months, 3 weeks and 4 days
(178 days)
Gideon C. Moody November 2, 1889 March 3, 1891 1 year, 4 months and 1 day
(486 days)
Herbert E. Hitchcock December 29, 1936 November 8, 1938 1 year, 10 months, 1 week and 3 days
(679 days)

Youngest at beginning of service

Senator Date of birth First served Age
Larry Pressler March 29, 1942 January 3, 1979 36 years, 9 months and 5 days
James H. Kyle February 24, 1854 March 4, 1891 37 years and 8 days
Tom Daschle December 9, 1947 January 3, 1987 39 years and 25 days
Alfred B. Kittredge March 28, 1861 July 11, 1901 40 years, 3 months and 13 days
George McGovern July 19, 1922 January 3, 1963 40 years, 5 months and 15 days

Oldest at end of service

Senator Date of birth Last served Age
Thomas Sterling February 21, 1851 March 3, 1925 74 years and 10 days
William J. Bulow January 13, 1869 January 3, 1943 73 years, 11 months and 21 days
Karl E. Mundt June 3, 1900 January 3, 1973 72 years and 7 months
Herbert E. Hitchcock August 22, 1867 November 8, 1938 71 years, 2 months and 17 days
Tim Johnson December 28, 1946 January 3, 2015 68 years and 6 days

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "SENATOR JAMES H. KYLE". The New York Times. February 17, 1891. p. 5.
  2. ^ "SENATOR KYLE RE-ELECTED". The New York Times. February 19, 1897. p. 3.
  3. ^ "R.J. Gamble Succeeds Pettigrew". The New York Times. January 23, 1901. p. 5.
  4. ^ Journal of the Senate of the South Dakota Legislature Commencing January 6, 1903, Eighth Session. Pierre, South Dakota. 1903. p. 298.
  5. ^ Journal of the Senate of the South Dakota Legislature Commencing January 6, 1903, Eighth Session. Pierre, South Dakota. 1903. p. 299.