South Dakota House Republicans have selected their leadership team for the 2027-28 legislative term, including nominees for speaker of the house and speaker pro tempore, and a new majority leader who will make legislative history.
Rep. Mike Stevens of Yankton was nominated to serve as speaker of the house, succeeding Rep. Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids. Stevens, an attorney, previously served as speaker pro tempore in 2023-24. At age 73, Stevens will be the oldest speaker of the house in South Dakota history. He will be the second house speaker from Yankton, following Matt Michels, who served in the role from 2003-06.
Republicans nominated Rep. Amber Arlint of Sioux Falls to serve as speaker pro tempore, the second-ranking presiding officer of the house. Arlint will be the second woman to serve as speaker pro tempore, following the departing speaker pro tempore, Rep. Karla Lems of Canton.
The speaker and speaker pro tempore are elected by the entire house, but by tradition the majority caucus nominates the candidates for these positions.
Leading the Republican caucus as house majority leader will be Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt of Sioux Falls. Rehfeldt, a nurse anesthetist, previously served as assistant house majority leader in 2023-24. She will be the first woman to serve as house majority leader, and the first woman to lead the Republican caucus in the State House.
Rehfeldt is the thirteenth party floor leader from Sioux Falls, which as the state’s largest city has been home to more than any other city. She follows: 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.
Rep. Drew Peterson of Salem was elected assistant house majority leader. Peterson’s brother, former Rep. Kent Peterson, also serves as assistant leader, from 2017-18, and also served as majority leader in 2021-22. Joining Rehfeldt and Peterson in the House Republican caucus leadership will be majority whips: Nick Fosness of Britton, Mellisa Heermann of Brookings, Mike Weisgram of Fort Pierre, Matt Roby of Watertown, and Brian Mulder of Sioux Falls.
