Governor of South Dakota

South Dakota Governor
General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
2013 FY Budget:	$48,426,683
Term limits:	Two consecutive terms
Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	South Dakota Constitution, Article IV, Section I
Selection Method:	Elected
Current Officeholder
Name:	Dennis Daugaard
Officeholder Party:	Republican
Assumed office:	January 8, 2011
Compensation:	$98,031
Elections
Next election:	November 4, 2014
Last election:	November 2, 2010
Other South Dakota Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission

The Governor of the State of South Dakota is an elected Constitutional officer, the head of the Executive branch, and the highest state office in South Dakota. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.

As of May 2013, South Dakota is one of 24 Republican state government trifectas.

Current officeholder

The 32nd and current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IV, the Executive Department.

Under Article IV, Section I:

The executive power of the state is vested in the Governor.

Qualifications

Governors
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 Lists of candidates
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010
Breaking news

A candidate for the office of the governor must be:

• a citizen of the United States
• at least 21 years old
• a resident of South Dakota for at least two years as of the election

Elections

South Dakota elects governors in the midterm elections, that is, even years that are not Presidential election years. For South Dakota, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Tuesday after the first Monday in the January following an election. Thus, January 4, 2011 and January 6, 2015 are inaugural days.

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

South Dakota governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait one term before being eligible to run again.

South Dakota Constitution, Article IV, Section 2

Commencing with the 1974 general election, no person shall be elected to more than two consecutive terms as Governor...

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Article IV, Section 6.

Any time the Governor dies, resigns, is removed or convicted, the Lieutenant Governor succeeds to office with the full powers and duties of the Governor.

If the Governor is absent or unable to discharge the office, the Lieutenant Governor serves as Governor until the disability is removed or for the residue of the term.

In matters of determining that the Governor is continuously absent or unable to discharge for the office, the Supreme Court of South Dakota shall have "original and exclusive jurisdiction."

Duties

The governor serves as a spokesman for the state, oversees the executive branch, appoints the members of his cabinet, is the commander-in-chief of the South Dakota National Guard, and may grant pardons to those convicted of criminal offenses under state law, except in cases of treason and impeachment (§ 3).

He is also actively involved in the legislative process. He may introduce legislation and has the power to veto bills passed by the legislature (§ 4).

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• Commissioning all offices of the state (§ 3)

• Requiring written information from any state officer on any aspect of her office and duties (§ 3)

• Addressing the General Assembly at the beginning of each regular session and at other times she deems necessary on the state of the state and making recommendations for legislation (§ 3)

• Convening special sessions of the legislature or of either chamber alone (§ 3)

• Making changes in the organization of "offices, boards, commissions, agencies and instrumentalities, and in allocation of their functions, powers and duties, as he considers necessary for efficient administration" (§ 8)

• Acting as supervisor of each principle department in the executive branch and appointing the executive to each department (§ 9)

• Appointing all offices not otherwise provided for, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and making interim appointments when the Senate is in recess (§ 9)

Click here to view a large-scale image of the South Dakota Governor's office organizational chart, as of April 2013.

State budget

The budget for the Governor's Office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $ 48,426,683.

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries

The governor's salary is legally fixed and may not be raised or decreased effective during the current term.

As of 2010, the Governor of South Dakota is paid $115,331 a year, the 33rd highest gubernatorial salary in America.

Contact information

Office of the Governor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
Phone:605.773.3212

See also

• South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard
• Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota
• Lieutenant Governor Matthew Michels
• South Dakota Attorney General
• South Dakota Secretary of State

External links

Suggest a link

• Office of the South Dakota Governor