Assistant Leaders in the SD State Legislature

In Pierre, the day-to-day business of the State Legislature is managed by the party floor leaders – the majority and minority leader in each house. In addition, each of the four party caucuses elects an assistant leader to serve alongside the floor leader in running the caucus. See the overview of legislative leadership for other leadership positions in the State Legislature.

I have been able to find reference to assistant leaders in the House beginning in 1972, and in the Senate beginning in 1973.

#	SENATE ASST MAJORITY LDR	PARTY	SESSIONS	CITY
1	Homer Kandaras1	D	1973–1974	Rapid City
2	Eugene R. Mahan	D	1975–1976	Burbank
3	George H. Shanard	R	1977–1988	Mitchell
4	James B. Dunn3	R	1989–1992	Lead
	James L. Stoick3	R	1989–1992	Mobridge
6	Paul N. Symens	D	1993–1994	Amherst
7	James B. Dunn4	R	1995–2000	Lead
8	Barbara Everist4	R	1999–2000	Sioux Falls
9	Richard G. Hainje	R	2001	Sioux Falls
10	Eric H. Bogue	R	2002	Dupree
11	Royal “Mac” McCracken	R	2003–2004	Rapid City
12	John M. Koskan	R	2005–2006	Wood
13	Thomas A. Dempster	R	2007–2010	Sioux Falls
14	Corey W. Brown	R	2011–2012	Gettysburg
15	Timothy A. Rave	R	2013	Baltic
16	Daniel I. Lederman	R	2014–15	Dakota Dunes
17	James L. White	R	2016	Huron
18	Ryan M. Maher	R	2017–2018	Isabel
19	James W. Bolin	R	2019–2020	Canton
20	Michael G. Diedrich	R	2021–2024	Rapid City
21	Carl J. Perry	R	2025–	Aberdeen

#	SENATE ASST MINORITY LDR	PARTY	SESSIONS	CITY
1	Oscar M. Austad1	R	1973–1974	Sioux Falls
2	Clint Roberts	R	1975–1976	Presho
3	Michael J. O’Connor	D	1977	Brandon
4	David H. Billion	D	1978	Sioux Falls
5	Philip Testerman	D	1979–1980	Wessington
6	Roger D. McKellips	D	1981-1982	Alcester
7	Robert L. Samuelson	D	1983–1984	Faith
8	James A. Burg	D	1985–1986	Wessington Springs
9	Doris P. Miner	D	1987–1990	Gregory
10	Paul N. Symens	D	1991–1992	Amherst
11	James B. Dunn	R	1993–1994	Lead
12	Pamela A. Nelson	D	1995–1996	Sioux Falls
13	Rebecca J. Dunn	D	1997–1998	Sioux Falls
14	M. K. “Mel” Olson	D	1999–2000	Mitchell
15	Garry A. Moore	D	2001–2002	Yankton
16	Paul N. Symens	D	2003–2004	Amherst
17	Gary D. Hanson	D	2005–2010	Sisseton
18	James E. Hundstad	D	2011–2012	Bath
19	Billie H. Sutton	D	2013–2014	Burke
20	Troy E. Heinert	D	2015–2018	Mission
21	Craig A. Kennedy	D	2019–2020	Yankton
22	Red Dawn Foster	D	2021–2022	Pine Ridge
23	Shawn L. Bordeaux	D	2023–2024	Mission
24	J. R. “Jamie” Smith	D	2025–	Sioux Falls

#	HOUSE ASST MAJORITY LDR	PARTY	SESSIONS	CITY
1	Walter Dale Miller1	R	1972	New Underwood
2	Bertrum E. Ellingson	D2	1973–1974	Sisseton
3	Royal J. “Bud” Wood	R	1975–1976	Warner
4	Neil Clarke	R	1977–1978	Fort Pierre
5	Donald J. Ham	R	1979–1982	Rapid City
6	Walter Dale Miller	R	1983–1985	New Underwood
7	Jerome B. Lammers	R	1986	Madison
8	Donald J. Ham	R	1987–1990	Rapid City
9	Larry E. Gabriel	R	1991–1992	Cottonwood
10	Michael D. Wagner	R	1993–1994	Baltic
11	Steve K. Cutler	R	1995–1998	Claremont
12	Orville B. Smidt	R	1999–2000	Brookings
13	William M. Napoli	R	2001–2002	Rapid City
14	Larry R. Rhoden	R	2003–2004	Union Center
15	Joel D. Dykstra	R	2005–2008	Canton
16	Kristi Noem	R	2009–2010	Castlewood
17	Justin R. Cronin	R	2011–2014	Gettysburg
18	Steven M. Westra	R	2015–2016	Sioux Falls
19	Kent S. Peterson	R	2017–2018	Salem
20	Arch E. Beal	R	2019–2020	Sioux Falls
21	Chris P. Johnson	R	2021–2022	Rapid City
22	Taylor R. Rehfeldt	R	2023–2024	Sioux Falls
23	Marty G. Overweg	R	2025–	New Holland

#	ASST HOUSE MINORITY LDR	PARTY	SESSIONS	CITY
1	Menno Tschetter1	D	1972	Huron
2	James W. Kesling	R2	1973–1974	Timber Lake
3	Bertum E. Ellingson	D	1975–1976	Sisseton
4	James Endres	D	1977–1978	Watertown
5	James A. Burg	D	1979–1984	Wessington Springs
6	Kent E. Frerichs	D	1985–1988	Wilmot
7	Larry A. Nelson	D	1989–1990	Vermillion
8	Dale L. Howlett	D	1991–1992	Watertown
9	Craig A. Schaunaman	D	1993–1994	Aberdeen
10	Vincent Green	D	1995–1996	Vermillion
11	Larry J. Lucas	D	1997–2000	Mission
12	Quinten L. Burg	D	2001–2004	Wessington Springs
13	Margaret V. Gillespie	D	2005–2008	Hudson
14	H. Paul Dennert	D	2009–2010	Columbia
15	Mitchell T. Fargen	D	2011–2012	Flandreau
16	Julie A. Bartling	D	2013–2018	Gregory
17	Steven D. McCleerey	D	2019–2020	Sisseton
18	Oren L. Lesmeister	D	2021–2022	Parade
19	Erin K. Healy	D	2023–2024	Sioux Falls
20	Eric E. Emery	D	2025–	Rosebud

1. Assistant leaders were first designated in the House in 1972 and in the Senate in 1973.
2. The 1973–74 House of Representatives was evenly divided and, by state law, was organized by the Democrats as the governor’s party.
3. From 1989–92, Dunn and Stoick served as co-assistant leaders.
4. In 1999 and 2000, Dunn served alongside Everist, with Dunn designated as “senior assistant leader.”