# Lee Warne

Leland DeWayne Warne (January 1, 1922 – March 8, 2002) was an American politician and rancher from South Dakota. Born in Pierre, he served in the United States Army for several years after receiving a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Dakota. He fought in the European theatre of World War II, assisting the 2nd and 20th armored divisions. For his service, he received a Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. He was elected to the South Dakota Senate as a member of the Republican Party in 1952; he won re-election in 1954. Warne campaigned for the South Dakota House of Representatives in 1956. He defeated the incumbent J. C. Noonan in a close race. Following his legislatorial stint, he bred horses on his ranch. Warne was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1988. He died in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2002 at the age of 80.

## Life and career

Leland DeWayne Warne was born in Pierre, South Dakota, on January 1, 1922, to rancher Edward and Lona (née Yung) Warne. He received an elementary education at Goodwater rural school in Sully County and graduated from Pierre High School in 1939. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Dakota,$^{:33}$ Warne reported to an officer candidate school in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and served nearly 4 years as a platoon leader and company commander. During the European theatre of World War II, he assisted both the 2nd Armored Division as a first lieutenant and the 20th Armored Division.$^{:33}$ Warne received a Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart for his service.
After his return to the United States in 1945, Warne married Nashville nurse Helen Williams.$^{:33}$ Together, they had four children, only two of which survived past infancy: Randy and Nancy.$^{:n.pag.}$ Warne, following his dischargement from the military, served on the board of the Goodwater School for 22 years and as a Sully County commissioner for 21 years.
On February 14, 1952, Warne announced his campaign for the South Dakota Senate, seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 16th district. The announcement came the day after the incumbent senator, Fred R. Winans, stated that he would not seek re-election. He officially filed for election with Geraldine Ostroot, the Secretary of State of South Dakota, on May 1. In the primary election, he faced fellow Republicans Arthur B. Cahalan of Miller and G. C. Reynolds of Blunt. Because there was no Democratic Party opponent in the general election, Warne was able to win it unopposed.$^{:163}$ Warne comfortably won his re-election bid in 1954, defeating his Democratic opponent, Nick Jackus, by nearly 19 points.$^{:488}$ As senator, he was the chairman of Military and Veterans' Affairs. In 1955, he proposed a constitutional amendment that would have reduced the state's voting age to 18.
Warne ran for the South Dakota House of Representatives in 1956, seeking to represent its 22nd district. In a close race, Warne defeated the incumbent, Democrat J. C. Noonan, by 12 votes. Noonan petitioned for a recount, which showed him leading Warne by just 6 votes. Warne petitioned the recount to the South Dakota Supreme Court, requesting that the latter review the challenged or thrown-out ballots. A writ of certiorari was filed at the Supreme Court on December 8, and the case hearing was scheduled for December 17. The court ended up rigorously examining 93 ballots—Warne's counsel, Clair B. Ledbetter, objected to 54 ballots and John F. Lindley, Noonan's counsel, objected to 39 ballots, which were described by the Associated Press as having "just about everything wrong with" them. The Supreme Court ruled that Warne had won the race, albeit with a very tight margin of just 3 votes. As representative, Warne introduced a bill that would have broadened the state's sales tax base to include hotels and motels.
Warne was a delegate to the 1956 Republican National Convention. In 1957, Warne began breeding Appaloosa horses on his ranch as a hobby, joining the Appaloosa Horse Club the following year. Warne's ranch, established in 1904, is located roughly 20 miles northwest of Pierre and is approximately 8,500 acres (3,400 ha; 13.3 sq mi; 34 km$^2$) in size. According to an obituary published in the Rapid City Journal, five Appaloosa horses who won national championships were bred on his ranch. In 1961, Warne served as co-chair of the 45-member University of South Dakota Development Commission. Warne was appointed by Earl Butz, the United States secretary of agriculture, in March 1972 to serve on the 19-member Water Bank Advisory Board.
In 1973, Warne's ranch won the South Dakota State Izaak Walton League Award for outstanding wildlife habitat management. In 1988, Warne was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in the agriculture category. Warne died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on March 8, 2002. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Pierre.

## Electoral history

1952 South Dakota's 16th Senate district election$^{:147,163}$ :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Lee Warne | 2,554 | 54.51% |
| | Republican | G. C. Reynolds | 1,276 | 27.24% |
| | Republican | Arthur B. Calahan | 855 | 18.25% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 4,685 | 100.00% |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Lee Warne | 7,408 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,408 | 100.00% |
1954 South Dakota's 16th Senate district election$^{:488}$ :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Lee Warne | 5,201 | 59.47% |
| | Democratic | Nick Jackus | 3,545 | 40.53% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,746 | 100.00% |