As the year comes to a close, we think back on the year that was. The year began as Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in to her second term as governor, while this blogger began his service in the State House of Representatives. The year saw victories and defeats; anniversaries and final farewells. Here is a look at some of the South Dakota history made in 2023:
Final Farewells
This year we bid farewell to many key players in South Dakota politics. On February 24, former U.S. Senator Jim Abourezk, a unique and colorful figure in South Dakota history, died on his 92nd birthday. He was followed the next day by Dr. Jack Billion, the 2006 Democratic nominee for governor. Several other prominent Democrats died in 2023: SD Democratic Party Chairman and former US Attorney Randy Seiler, 1994 gubernatorial nominee Jim Beddow, and Rapid City attorney Gene Lebrun, who fifty years ago was the most recent Democratic Speaker of the House.
We also bid farewell to longtime educator Dr. Jim Hansen, 1998 U.S. Senate nominee Ron Schmidt, and Aberdeen businessman and civic leader Tim Kessler. Finally, in April we remembered Sheila Bonrud, not a well-known figure but a beloved long-time governor’s office staffer who helped decades of governors run our state.
Anniversaries and Milestones
We shared a tribute by U.S. Senator John Thune to his mentor, U.S. Senator Jim Abdnor, on what would have been Abdnor’s 100th birthday. We noted the 70th birthdays of Dennis and Linda Daugaard, and the 30th anniversary of the state plane crash that took the lives of Gov. George S. Mickelson and seven others. We noted the fall of the South Dakota Democratic Party to third place, behind independents in party registration. And, with the departure of Governor’s Chief of Staff Mark Miller, we shared a list of those who have held this position.
Promoting South Dakota History
A highlight of the year was the 11-part blogpost series on Dakota Town Hall, on which this blogger talked through the lives and careers of every South Dakota governor, from Arthur Mellette to Kristi Noem, over more than 13 hours. In May, this blogger took a walk on the Trail of Governors with South Dakota reporting legend Kevin Woster.
A bizarre experiment with ChatGPT led to this blog’s all-time most-read post, after it was featured on PowerLine Blog, as ChatGPT invented an entirely fictional South Dakota governor, Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor. Additional features included a successful search for the long-lost portrait of Gov. Ralph Herseth, and a look at the origin of the “Hoghouse” in the South Dakota State Legislature.
Meanwhile, the 2023 edition of The Governors of South Dakota is on order, and the Online Almanac of South Dakota Politics celebrates its first anniversary as a repository for the site’s historic lists and writing.
National Spotlight
The upcoming 2024 presidential election also prompted a few blog posts this year. In light of Donald Trump’s attempt to return to the White House, a May post considered the South Dakota governors who have sought a comeback. In June, a blog post looked at the history of North and South Dakotans running for president, inspired by ND Governor Doug Burgum’s short-lived presidential bid. And continuing speculation about Gov. Kristi Noem as a vice presidential contender prompted a September blog post, following Trump’s visit to Rapid City that featured “Trump/Noem” signs. Noem’s role in the 2024 election will likely be a continued focus in the coming year.
SoDak Governors 