South Dakota History in 2023

As the year comes to a close, we think back on the year that was. The year began as Gov. … More

“The Dakota Scout” features post on presidential candidates

Another issue of The Dakota Scout has hit the newsstands, once again featuring content from this blog. The June 22-28, 2023 includes this … More

This blog is SoDakGovs, not NoDakGovs, but it is nevertheless notable that Doug Burgum, the two-term governor of North Dakota, … More

Jim Abdnor was born on February 13, 1923 in Kennebec. Abdnor was a consummate politician and “people person” and one … More

As the year comes to a close, we think back on the year that was. We saw new arrivals and … More

U.S. Senator John Thune celebrated a big reelection win yesterday, winning a fourth term against challenger Brian Bengs with approximately … More

With Election Day just over a week away, U.S. Senator John Thune is strongly favored to win reelection, with a … More

This is an update of a post that was written prior to the 2020 general election. The 2022 election marks twelve years … More

Updated to reflect the results of the 2022 general election. There are many ways to measure South Dakota’s top political … More

The South Dakota Democratic Party held its state convention this weekend to adopt its platform and nominate candidates for statewide … More

The South Dakota Republican Party held its state convention in Watertown June 23-25, 2022. News outlets have noted a record-setting … More

The 2022 primary season is over, as Governor Kristi Noem, U.S. Senator John Thune, and Congressman Dusty Johnson all fended … More

U.S. Senator John Thune announced today that he will seek a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. The announcement … More

This morning, Tom Lawrence has an excellent historical article, looking at U.S. Senator John Thune’s upcoming decision as to whether … More

To no one’s great surprise, first-term Congressman Dusty Johnson, a Republican, was easily reelected on Tuesday night. Johnson, after all, … More

Update: Unofficial election results indicate that Rounds was reelected with 65.7% of the vote, placing him fifth all-time among U.S. … More

This is an update of a post that was written prior to the 2018 general election. The 2020 election marks … More

On July 3, President Donald J. Trump visited Mount Rushmore to attend an Independence Day program that will feature fireworks … More

This is an update of a post that was done prior to the 2016 general election. The South Dakota Republican … More

Every general election makes history, in some way. Here are a few historical notes on the 2016 election in South … More

The following post has been revised to include the results from the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 general elections. The … More

This is the fourth of several posts previewing the Tuesday election through a historical lens. The first part was an introduction; the second … More

This is the third of several posts previewing the Tuesday election through a historical lens. The first part was an introduction and the … More