List of United States senators from South Dakota
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). South Dakota is one of fifteen states alongside California , Colorado , Florida , Georgia , Hawaii , Idaho , Louisiana , Maine , Massachusetts , Minnesota , Missouri , Nevada , Pennsylvania and Utah to have a younger senior senator and an older junior senator. South Dakota's class 3 seat also holds the distinction of having a future Senate Majority Leader (John Thune) defeat and succeed a former Majority Leader (Tom Daschle ).
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
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
Gideon C. Moody
1
52nd
2
Elected in 1891 .[ 1]
Mar 4, 1891 – Jul 1, 1901
Independent
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 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
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
Coe Crawford
4
62nd
3
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
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
Peter Norbeck
6
68th
4
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 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 nomination to a full term.
Dec 29, 1936 – Nov 8, 1938
Democratic
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
8
76th
10
Elected in 1938 .
Jan 3, 1939 – Jan 3, 1951
Republican
Chan Gurney
9
77th
6
Harlan J. 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
Vera C. 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
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 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
Joe Bottum
11
88th
14
Elected in 1962 .
Jan 3, 1963 – Jan 3, 1981
Democratic
George McGovern
12
89th
Re-elected in 1966 .
Retired.
14
90th
91st
15
Re-elected in 1968 .
92nd
9
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
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
James Abdnor
13
98th
Re-elected in 1984 .
17
99th
100th
18
Elected in 1986 .
Jan 3, 1987 – Jan 3, 2005
Democratic
Tom Daschle
14
101st
Re-elected in 1990 .
Lost re-election.
18
102nd
103rd
19
Re-elected in 1992 .
104th
11
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
15
110th
Re-elected in 2008 .
Retired.
21
111th
112th
22
Re-elected in 2010 .
113th
12
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
C
T
Electoral history
Years in office
Party
Senator
#
Class 2
Class 3
See also
Notes