# Attorney General of South Dakota

The attorney general of South Dakota is the state attorney general of the U.S. state of South Dakota. The attorney general is elected by popular vote to a four-year term and holds an executive position as the state's chief legal officer. In 1992, the voters approved a constitutional amendment to limit all constitutional officers and the governor to two consecutive four-year terms.

## Structure of the office

The South Dakota Attorney General's Office represents and provides legal advice to agencies, boards, and commissions of the government of South Dakota. The office represents the state in state and federal court, as well as in administrative adjudication and rulemaking hearings. The office handles felony criminal appeals, advises local prosecutors in the conduct of criminal trials and handles cases at the request of local prosecutors. In addition, the office issues formal opinions interpreting statutes for the agencies and political subdivisions of the state.

## History

Within South Dakota, the office of attorney general is often considered a stepping stone to the office of governor. Six attorneys general, Coe I. Crawford (won 1904 and 1906), Merrell Q. Sharpe (won 1942 and 1944; lost 1946), George Theodore Mickelson (won 1946 and 1948), Sigurd Anderson (won 1950 and 1952; lost 1964), Frank Farrar (won 1968; lost 1970) and Bill Janklow (won 1978, 1982, 1994 and 1998), have each been elected governor. Meanwhile, six others, Robert Dollard (lost 1892), Mark Barnett (lost 2002), Buell Jones (lost 1928), Leo Temmey (lost 1942), Phil Saunders (lost 1958), and Marty Jackley (lost 2018), have run for governor unsuccessfully. Attorneys general and former attorneys general have a record of 13 wins and 9 losses in running for governor. A graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law had held the office of attorney general from 1959 until 2022. South Dakota has the second longest streak of Republican attorneys general in the country, dating back to 1975 (Nebraska has had Republican attorneys general since 1951).

## List of attorneys general
### Parties

Democratic (4)  Republican (27)  Populist (1)
| No. | Name (Birth-Death) | Term of Office | Political Party | Law school |
| 1 | Robert Dollard (1842-1912) | 1889–1893 | Republican | Read law |
| 2 | Coe I. Crawford (1858-1944) | 1893–1897 | Republican | University of Iowa |
| 3 | Melvin Grigsby (1845-1917) | 1897–1899 | Populist | Read law with William Pitt Dewey |
| 4 | John L. Pyle (1860-1902) | 1899–1902 | Republican | Read law under Manford E. Williams |
| 5 | Adolphus W. Burtt (1832-1917) | 1902–1903 | Republican | Read Law under Michael E. Crofoot |
| 6 | Philo Hall (1865-1938) | 1903-1907 | Republican | Read law under J. O. Andrews |
| 7 | S. Wesley Clark (1872-1949) | 1907–1911 | Republican | Read law under Thomas Sterling |
| 8 | Royal Johnson (1882-1939) | 1911–1915 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 9 | Clarence C. Caldwell (1877-1957) | 1915–1919 | Republican | University of Chicago (attended) University of South Dakota (graduated) |
| 10 | Byron S. Payne (1876-1949) | 1919–1923 | Republican | University of Minnesota |
| 11 | Buell F. Jones (1892-1947) | 1923–1929 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 12 | Merrell Q. Sharpe (1888-1962) | 1929–1933 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 13 | D. Walter Conway (1898-1956) | 1933–1937 | Democratic | Creighton University |
| 14 | Clair Roddewig (1902-1975) | 1937–1939 | Democratic | Creighton University |
| 15 | Leo A. Temmey (1894-1975) | 1939–1943 | Republican | University of Minnesota |
| 16 | George T. Mickelson (1903-1965) | 1943–1947 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 17 | Sigurd Anderson (1904-1990) | 1947–1951 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 18 | Ralph A. Dunham (1906-1959) | 1951–1955 | Republican | University of Iowa |
| 19 | Phil Saunders (1920-1997) | 1955–1959 | Republican | Northwestern University |
| 20 | Parnell J. Donahue (1916-1990) | 1959–1961 | Democratic | University of South Dakota |
| 21 | Albert C. Miller (1898-1979) | 1961–1963 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 22 | Frank Farrar (1929-2021) | 1963–1969 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 23 | Gordon Mydland (1922-2022) | 1969–1973 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 24 | Kermit A. Sande (b. 1943) | 1973–1975 | Democratic | University of South Dakota |
| 25 | Bill Janklow (1939-2012) | 1975–1979 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 26 | Mark V. Meierhenry (1944-2020) | 1979–1987 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 27 | Roger Tellinghuisen (b. 1953) | 1987–1991 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 28 | Mark Barnett (b.1954) | 1991–2003 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 29 | Larry Long (b. 1947) | 2003–2009 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 30 | Marty Jackley (b. 1970) | 2009–2019 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| 31 | Jason Ravnsborg (b. 1976) | 2019–2022 | Republican | University of South Dakota |
| – | Charlie McGuigan | April 12, 2022 – June 28, 2022 Acting | Republican | University of Montana |
| 32 | Mark Vargo (b. 1963) | 2022–2023 | Republican | Georgetown University |
| 33 | Marty Jackley (b. 1970) | 2023–Present | Republican | University of South Dakota |

## Elections

Elections in South Dakota :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1889
1891
1894
1897
1901
1903
1903 sp
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1938
1938 sp
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1956
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
U.S. House elections
1889
1890
1891
AL sp
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
AL sp
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
AL sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
General elections
2010
2014
2018
2020
2022
Gubernatorial elections
1889
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Secretary of State elections
2022
Attorney General elections
2018
2022
Senate elections
2020
2022
House of Representatives elections
2020
2022 :
Ballot measures
2006
Amendment C
2008
Measure 9
Measure 10
2020
Amendment A
Measure 26
2024
Amendment E
Amendment G
Amendment H :
Sioux Falls
City elections
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Mayoral elections
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Rapid City
City elections
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
2022 :
Pierre
City elections
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
2022 :
vte :
The voters of the U.S. State of South Dakota elect an attorney general for a four-year term. The winning candidate is shown in bold.
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Other Parties | Election Day |
| 2022 | | Marty Jackley | | Nov. 8,2022 |
| 2018 | Randy Seiler 145,558 | Jason Ravnsborg 179,071 | | Nov. 6,2018 |
| 2014 | | Marty Jackley 208,848 | Chad Huber (Libertarian) 45,856 | Nov. 4,2014 |
| 2010 | Ron Volesky 100,182 | Marty Jackley 202,499 | | Nov. 2,2010 |
| 2006 | Ron Volesky: 104,267 | Larry Long 207,079 | Randy Ristesund (Libertarian) 8,904 | Nov. 7, 2006 |
| 2002 | Ron Volesky: 139,451 | Larry Long 174,513 | Bob Newland (Libertarian) 12,131 | Nov. 2, 2002 |
| 1998 | | Mark Barnett 223,000 | | Nov. 3,1998 |
| 1994 | Randy Turner 106,709 | Mark Barnett 192,147 | Bert Olson (Libertarian) 9,410 | Nov. 8,1994 |
| 1990 | Michael Butler 102,231 | Mark Barnett 150,109 | | Nov. 6,1990 |
| 1986 | Jeff Masten 133,577 | Roger Tellinghuisen 153,871 | | Nov. 4,1986 |
| 1982 | Rod Lefholz 119,697 | Mark V. Meierhenry 153,728 | | Nov.2,1982 |
| 1978 | Max Gors 106,199 | Mark V. Meierhenry 141,891 | | Nov.7,1978 |
| 1974 | Kermit A. Sande 86,865 | William Janklow 173,658 | | Nov. 5,1974 |
| 1972 | Kermit A. Sande 152,835 | Ron Schmidt 143,367 | | Nov. 7,1972 |
| 1970 | Ramon Roubideaux 114,633 | Gordon Mydland 116,493 | | Nov.3,1970 |
| 1968 | James Abourezk 118,045 | Gordon Mydland 148,366 | | Nov.5,1968 |
| 1966 | Robert W. Swanson 79,670 | Frank Farrar 141,734 | | Nov.8,1966 |
| 1964 | William C. Grady 125,047 | Frank Farrar 157,848 | | Nov.3,1964 |
| 1962 | Thomas E. Poe 107,897 | Frank Farrar 137,836 | | Nov. 6,1962 |
| 1960 | Parnell J. Donahue 138,320 | Albert C. Miller 160,299 | | Nov.8,1960 |
| 1958 | Parnell J. Donahue 126,225 | George Wuest 122,332 | | Nov.4,1958 |
| 1956 | William H. Heuermann 127,988 | Phil Saunders 156,149 | | Nov.6,1956 |
| 1954 | Fred J. Nichol 102,726 | Phil Saunders 127,692 | | Nov.2,1954 |
| 1952 | C.W. (Bill) Hyde 94,396 | Ralph A. Dunham 187,888 | | Nov.4,1952 |
| 1950 | George A. Bangs 97,792 | Ralph A. Dunham 144,694 | | Nov.7,1950 |
| 1948 | D.C. Walsh 99,724 | Sigurd Anderson 137,370 | | Nov.2,1948 |
| 1946 | Albert F. Ulmer 50,480 | Sigurd Anderson 106,502 | | Nov.5,1946 |
| 1944 | Fred E. Wheeler 83,441 | George T. Mickelson 137,311 | | Nov.7,1944 |
| 1942 | Lynn Fellows 62,527 | George T. Mickelson 108,155 | | Nov.3,1942 |
| 1940 | Andrew Foley 122,173 | Leo A. Temmey 170,269 | | Nov.7,1940 |
| 1938 | Clair Roddewig 123,671 | Leo A. Temmey 144,125 | | Nov.8,1938 |
| 1936 | Clair Roddewig 138,786 | Sterling Clark 138,410 | | Nov.3,1936 |
| 1934 | D. Walter Conway 158,553 | Roy A. Nord 112,764 | | Nov.6,1934 |
| 1932 | D. Walter Conway 135,393 | Merrell Q. Sharpe 128,644 | | Nov.8,1932 |
| 1930 | J.T. Grigsby 86,984 | Merrell Q. Sharpe 101,961 | | Nov.4,1930 |
| 1928 | Ray E. Doughtery 99,604 | Merrell Q. Sharpe137,079 | Lars J. Grinager (F.L.) 3,611 | Nov.6,1928 |
| 1926 | Charles F. Noonon 54,194 | Buell F. Jones 98,570 | C.W.Kirschman (F.L.) 11,772 | Nov.2,1926 |
| 1924 | F.E. Flynn 39,278 | Buell F. Jones 105,749 | Thos L. Arnold (F.L.) 29,789 | Nov.4,1924 |
| 1922 | J.P. Alexander 38,125 | Buell F. Jones 83,221 | O.S. Hagen (N.P.) 36,337 | Nov.7,1922 |
| 1920 | Peter Ward 30,108 | Byron S. Payne 104,417 | O.M. Burch (N.P.) 43,891 | Nov.2,1920 |
| 1918 | Joseph J. Conry 19,712 | Byron S. Payne 47,604 | Seth Teesdale (Independent) | Nov.5, 1918 |
| 1916 | Joseph J. Conry 47,423 | Clarence C. Caldwell 72,245 | W.R. DeArment (Socialist) 3,620 | Nov.7,1916 |
| 1914 | L.W.Bicknell 33,705 | Clarence C. Caldwell 54,129 | M.J. Russell 1,403 | Nov.3,1914 |
| 1912 | W.A. Lynch 42,762 | Royal Johnson 66,553 | | Nov.5,1912 |
| 1910 | W.A. Lynch 30,533 | Royal Johnson 66,085 | Stacy A. Cochran (Independent) 1,656 | Nov.8,1910 |
| 1908 | | S. Wesley Clark 68,605 | John B. Hanten (Good Government) 19,613 S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,906 Geo W Lattin (Scales of Justice) 141 | Nov.3,1908 |
| 1906 | Calvin J.B. Harris 19,942 | S. Wesley Clark 48,287 | S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,372 | Nov.6,1906 |
| 1904 | Edmund W. Fiske 23,398 | Philo Hall 69,529 | S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,866 T.H. Null (People's) 1,158 | Nov.8,1904 |
| 1902 | William A. Lynch 21,055 | Philo Hall 48,425 | S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,636 | Nov.4,1902 |
| 1900 | | John L. Pyle 53,909 | Abner E. Hitchcock (Fusion) 40,057 | Nov.6,1900 |
| 1898 | | John L. Pyle 38,701 | C.S. Palmer (Fusion) 34,147 | Nov.8,1898 |
| 1896 | | S.V.Jones 40,931 | Melvin Grigsby (Populist) 41,316 | Nov.3,1986 |
| 1894 | S.W. Treesh 8,451 | Coe I. Crawford 40,805 | T.H. Null (Independent) 27,214 | Nov.4,1894 |
| 1892 | Henry C. Walsh 14,788 | Coe I. Crawford 33,778 | W.H. Curtis (Independent) 21,730 | Nov.8,1892 |
| 1890 | S.B. Van Buskirk 17,824 | Robert Dollard 35,241 | S.W. Cosand (Independent) 24,546 | Nov.4,1890 |
| 1889 | H.F. Fellows 22,632 | Robert Dollard 55,364 | | Oct.1,1889 |