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).<ref></</ref>

List of attorneys general Parties

No. Picture Name (Birth-Death) Term of Office Political PartyLaw school1Robert Dollard1889–1893RepublicanRead law2Coe I. Crawford1893–1897RepublicanUniversity of Iowa3 Melvin Grigsby1897–1899PopulistRead law with William Pitt Dewey4John L. Pyle1899–1902RepublicanRead law under Manford E. Williams5Adolphus W. Burtt1902–1903RepublicanRead Law under Michael E. Crofoot6Philo Hall1903-1907RepublicanRead law under J. O. Andrews7S. Wesley Clark1907–1911RepublicanRead law under Thomas Sterling8Royal Johnson1911–1915Republican University of South Dakota9Clarence C. Caldwell1915–1919RepublicanUniversity of Chicago (attended)University of South Dakota (graduated)10Byron S. Payne1919–1923RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota11Buell F. Jones1923–1929RepublicanUniversity of South Dakota12Merrell Q. Sharpe1929–1933Republican University of South Dakota13D. Walter Conway1933–1937DemocraticCreighton University14Clair Roddewig1937–1939DemocraticCreighton University15Leo A. Temmey1939–1943RepublicanUniversity of Minnesota16George T. Mickelson1943–1947Republican University of South Dakota17Sigurd Anderson1947–1951Republican University of South Dakota18Ralph A. Dunham1951–1955RepublicanUniversity of Iowa19Phil Saunders1955–1959RepublicanNorthwestern University20Parnell J. Donahue1959–1961Democratic University of South Dakota21Albert C. Miller1961–1963Republican University of South Dakota22Frank Farrar1963–1969Republican University of South Dakota23Gordon Mydland1969–1973Republican University of South Dakota24Kermit A. Sande1973–1975Democratic University of South Dakota25Bill Janklow1975–1979Republican University of South Dakota26Mark V. Meierhenry1979–1987Republican University of South Dakota27Roger Tellinghuisen1987–1991Republican University of South Dakota28Mark Barnett1991–2003Republican University of South Dakota29Larry Long2003–2009Republican University of South Dakota30Marty Jackley2009–2019Republican University of South Dakota31Jason Ravnsborg2019–2022Republican University of South Dakota–Charlie McGuiganApril 12, 2022 – June 28, 2022RepublicanUniversity of Montana32Mark Vargo2022–2023RepublicanGeorgetown University33Marty Jackley2023–PresentRepublican University of South Dakota

Elections

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 208,848Chad Huber (Libertarian) 45,856 Nov. 4,2014 2010 Ron Volesky 100,182Marty Jackley 202,499Nov. 2,20102006 Ron Volesky: 104,267Larry Long 207,079Randy Ristesund (Libertarian) 8,904Nov. 7, 20062002 Ron Volesky: 139,451Larry Long 174,513Bob Newland (Libertarian) 12,131Nov. 2, 20021998Mark Barnett 223,000Nov. 3, 19981994 Randy Turner 106,709Mark Barnett 192,147Bert Olson (Libertarian) 9,410Nov. 8, 19941990 Michael Butler 102,231Mark Barnett 150,109Nov. 6, 19901986 Jeff Masten 133,577Roger Tellinghuisen 153,871Nov. 4, 19861982 Rod Lefholz 119,697 Mark V. Meierhenry 153,728Nov. 2, 19821978 Max Gors 106, 199Mark V. Meierhenry 141,891Nov. 7, 19781974 Kermit A. Sande 86,865William Janklow 173,658Nov. 5, 19741972Kermit A. Sande 152,835 Ron Schmidt 143,367Nov. 7, 19721970Ramon Roubideaux 114,633Gordon Mydland 116,493Nov. 3, 19701968James Abourezk 118,045Gordon Mydland 148,366Nov. 5, 19681966Robert W. Swanson 79,670Frank Farrar 141,734Nov. 8, 19661964William C. Grady 125,047Frank Farrar 157,848Nov. 3, 19641962Thomas E. Poe 107,897Frank Farrar 137,836Nov. 6, 19621960Parnell J. Donahue 138,320Albert C. Miller 160,299Nov. 8, 19601958Parnell J. Donahue 126,225George Wuest 122,332Nov. 4, 19581956William H. Heuermann 127,988Phil Saunders 156,149Nov. 6, 19561954Fred J. Nichol 102,726Phil Saunders 127,692Nov. 2, 19541952C.W. (Bill) Hyde 94,396Ralph A. Dunham 187,888Nov. 4, 19521950George A. Bangs 97,792Ralph A. Dunham 144,694Nov. 7, 19501948D.C. Walsh 99,724Sigurd Anderson 137,370Nov. 2, 19481946Albert F. Ulmer 50,480Sigurd Anderson 106,502Nov. 5, 19461944Fred E. Wheeler 83,441George T. Mickelson 137,311Nov. 7, 19441942Lynn Fellows 62,527George T. Mickelson 108,155Nov. 3, 19421940Andrew Foley 122,173Leo A. Temmey 170,269Nov. 7, 19401938Clair Roddewig 123,671Leo A. Temmey 144,125Nov. 8, 19381936Clair Roddewig 138,786 Sterling Clark 138,410Nov. 3, 19361934D. Walter Conway 158,553 Roy A. Nord 112,764Nov. 6, 19341932D. Walter Conway 135,393 Merrell Q. Sharpe 128,644Nov. 8, 19321930J.T. Grigsby 86,984Merrell Q. Sharpe 101,961Nov. 4, 19301928Ray E. Doughtery 99,604Merrell Q. Sharpe137,079Lars J. Grinager (F.L.) 3,611Nov. 6, 19281926Charles F. Noonon 54, 194Buell F. Jones 98,570C.W.Kirschman (F.L.) 11,772Nov. 2, 19261924F.E. Flynn 39,278Buell F. Jones 105,749Thos L. Arnold (F.L.) 29,789Nov. 4, 19241922J.P. Alexander 38,125Buell F. Jones 83,221O.S. Hagen (N.P.) 36,337Nov. 7, 19221920Peter Ward 30,108Byron S. Payne 104,417O.M. Burch (N.P.) 43,891Nov. 2, 19201918Joseph J. Conry 19,712Byron S. Payne 47,604Seth Teesdale (Independent) Nov. 5, 19181916Joseph J. Conry 47,423Clarence C. Caldwell 72,245W.R. DeArment (Socialist) 3,620Nov. 7, 19161914L.W.Bicknell 33,705Clarence C. Caldwell 54,129M.J. Russell 1,403Nov. 3, 19141912W.A. Lynch 42,762Royal Johnson 66,553Nov. 5, 19121910W.A. Lynch 30,533Royal Johnson 66,085Stacy A. Cochran (Independent) 1,656Nov. 8, 19101908S. Wesley Clark 68,605 John B. Hanten (Good Government) 19,613S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,906Geo W Lattin (Scales of Justice) 141Nov. 3, 19081906Calvin J.B. Harris 19,942S. Wesley Clark 48,287S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,372Nov. 6, 1906 1904Edmund W. Fiske 23,398Philo Hall 69,529S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,866 T.H. Null (People's) 1,158Nov. 8, 19041902William A. Lynch 21,055Philo Hall 48,425S.H. Cranmer (Socialist) 2,636Nov. 4, 19021900John L. Pyle 53,909Abner E. Hitchcock (Fusion) 40,057Nov. 6, 19001898John L. Pyle 38,701C.S. Palmer (Fusion) 34,147Nov. 8, 1898 1896S.V.Jones 40,931Melvin Grigsby (Populist) 41,316Nov. 3, 19861894S.W. Treesh 8,451Coe I. Crawford 40,805T.H. Null (Independent) 27,214Nov. 4, 18941892Henry C. Walsh 14,788Coe I. Crawford 33,778W.H. Curtis (Independent) 21,730Nov. 8, 18921890S.B. Van Buskirk 17,824Robert Dollard 35,241S.W. Cosand (Independent) 24,546Nov. 4, 18901889H.F. Fellows 22,632Robert Dollard 55,364Oct.1,1889

See also United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota South Dakota Supreme Court University of South Dakota School of Law Attorney General of Minnesota

References

External links South Dakota Attorney General official website South Dakota Attorney General articles at ABA Journal News and Commentary at FindLaw South Dakota Codified Laws at Law.Justia.com U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of South Dakota" at FindLaw State Bar of South Dakota South Dakota Attorney General Marty J. Jackley profile at National Association of Attorneys General Press releases at South Dakota Attorney General