SD Democrats elect first two women as legislative leaders

The 2025 South Dakota State Legislature will have more female members than ever before, and it will also feature the first two women to lead a Democratic caucus.

Leading the minority caucus in the Senate will be Sen. Liz Larson of Sioux Falls. She succeeds Sen. Reynold Nesiba, also of Sioux Falls, who was term-limited, as senate minority leader. Joining Larson will be incoming Sen. Jamie Smith of Sioux Falls as assistant minority leader. Smith previously served as house minority leader and was the 2022 Democratic nominee for governor. Sen. Red Dawn Foster of Pine Ridge will serve as minority whip in the three-member caucus.

In the House, the new minority leader will be Rep. Erin Healy of Sioux Falls. She succeeds Oren Lesmeister, who was term-limited. Healy has served the past two years assistant minority leader.

Joining Healy in the leading the six-person Democratic caucus are Rep. Eric E. Emery of Rosebud as assistant minority leader, and two whips: Rep. Kadyn Wittman of Sioux Falls and incoming Rep. Nicole Uhre-Balk of Rapid City.

As stated above, Larson is the first woman to serve as senate minority leader, or to lead the Democratic caucus in the Senate, and Healy likewise is the first woman to serve as house minority leader, or to lead the Democratic caucus in the House. Their selection also marks the first time that more than one woman will serve as a party leader at the same time.

Larson and Healy both serve Sioux Falls, a city that has now been the home to twelve party floor leaders, more than any other city: Senate Majority Leaders Barbara Everist, David Knudson, and Blake Curd; Senate Minority Leaders Scott Heidepriem, Reynold Nesiba, and Liz Larson; House Majority Leaders Elton Johnson, Lawrence Piersol, and Bill Peterson; and House Minority Leaders Dennis McFarland, Jamie Smith, and Erin Healy.

Larson and Healy with serve with their Republican counterparts, Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff and House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach. It is the second straight time that all four party leaders will be changing over, a hallmark of the term-limits era.