| Governors images and information from the South Dakota State Historical Society and the State of South Dakota. |
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| South Dakota's state government is organized into three branches - executive, legislative, and judicial. The Governor of is the chief executive officer of the state and is elected for a four-year term. The Governor of South Dakota may not serve for more than two terms in a row. William J. Janklow served two terms and was then later elected again. |
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| Arthur Calvin Mellette was the last Dakota Territorial governor. When statehood split the Territory, Mellette became the first governor of South Dakota. Mellette, who served in the Civil War, came to Dakota on his own and was not appointed by the president. |
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| 1st Governor of South Dakota |
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| Arthur C. Mellette |
| Served: March 22, 1889-January 3, 1893 |
| Lived: 1842-1896 |
| Republican from Watertown |
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| 2nd Governor of South Dakota |
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| Charles H. Sheldon |
| Served: January 3, 1893-January 1, 1897 |
| Lived: 1840-1898 |
| Republican form Pierpont |
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| 3rd Governor of South Dakota |
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| Andrew E. Lee |
| Served: January 1, 1897-January 8, 1901 |
| Lived: 1847-1934 |
| Populist from Vermillion |
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| 4th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Charles N. Herreid |
| Served: January 8, 1901-January 3, 1905 |
| Lived: 1857-1928 |
| Republican from Eureka |
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| 5th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Samuel H. Elrod |
| Served: January 3, 1905-January 8, 1907 |
| Lived: 1856-1935 |
| Republican from Clark |
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| 6th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Coe I. Crawford |
| Served: January 8, 1907-January 5, 1909 |
| Lived: 1858-1944 |
| Republican from Huron |
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| 8th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Frank M. Byrne |
| Served: January 7, 1913-January 2, 1917 |
| Lived: 1858-1927 |
| Republican from Faulkton |
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| 9th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Peter Norbeck |
| Served: January 2, 1917-January 4, 1921 |
| Lived: 1870-1936 |
| Republican from Redfield |
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| 10th Governor of South Dakota |
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| William H. McMaster |
| Served: January 4, 1921-January 6, 1925 |
| Lived: 1877-1968 |
| Republican from Yankton |
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| 11th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Carl Gunderson |
| Served: January 6, 1925-January 4, 1927 |
| Lived: 1864-1933 |
| Republican from Mitchell |
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| 12th Governor of South Dakota |
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| William J. Bulow |
| Served: January 4, 1927-January 6, 1931 |
| Lived: 1869-1960 |
| Democrat from Beresford |
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| 13th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Warren Green |
| Served: January 6, 1931-January 3, 1933 |
| Lived: 1870-1945 |
| Republican from Hazel |
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| 14th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Tom Berry |
| Served: January 3, 1933-January 5, 1937 |
| Lived: 1879-1951 |
| Democrat from Belvidere |
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| 16th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Harlan J. Bushfield |
| Served: January 3, 1939-January 5, 1943 |
| Lived: 1882-1948 |
| Republican from Miller |
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| 17th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Merrill Q. Sharpe |
| Served: January 5, 1943-January 7, 1947 |
| Lived: 1883-1962 |
| Republican from Kennebec |
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| 18th Governor of South Dakota |
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| George T. Mickelson |
| Served: January 7, 1947-January 2, 1951 |
| Lived: 1903-1965 |
| Republican from Selby |
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| 19th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Sigurd Anderson |
| Served: January 2, 1951-January 4, 1955 |
| Lived: 1904-1990 |
| Republican from Webster |
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| 21st Governor of South Dakota |
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| Ralph Herseth |
| Served: January 6, 1959-January 3, 1961 |
| Lived: 1909-1969 |
| Democrat from Houghton |
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| 22nd Governor of South Dakota |
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| Archie M. Gubbrud |
| Served: January 3, 1961-January 5, 1965 |
| Lived: 1910-1987 |
| Republican from Alcester |
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| 24th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Frank Farrar |
| Served: January 7, 1969-January 5, 1971 |
| Lived: 1929- |
| Republican from Britton |
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| 25th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Richard F. Kneip |
| Served: January 5, 1971-July 24, 1978 |
| Lived: 1933-1987 |
| Democrat from Salem |
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| 26th Governor of South Dakota |
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| Harvey L. Wollman |
| Served: July 24, 1978-January 1, 1979 |
| Lived: 1935- |
| Democrat from Hitchcock |
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| 27th Governor of South Dakota |
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| William J. Janklow |
| Served: January 1, 1979-January 6, 1987 |
| Lived: 1939-2012 |
| Republican from Flandreau |
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| 28th Governor of South Dakota |
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| George S. Mickelson |
| Served: January 6, 1987-April 19, 1993 |
| Lived: 1941-1993 |
| Republican from Brookings |
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| 30th Governor of South Dakota |
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| William J. Janklow |
| Served: January 5, 1995-January 7, 2003 |
| Lived: 1939-2012 |
| Republican from Flandreau |
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| 31st Governor of South Dakota |
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| M. Michael Rounds |
| Served: January 7, 2003-January 8, 2011 |
| Lived: 1954- |
| Republican from Pierre |
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