Scott Odenbach
Scott Odenbach (Republican Party) is a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing District 31. He assumed office on January 12, 2021. His current term ends on January 12, 2027.
House Republicans elected Odenbach state House majority leader, effective January 14, 2025.[1]
Odenbach was born in Eureka, South Dakota, in 1972. He received a bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University in 1995 and a J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2001. As of May 2025, Odenbach owned Odenbach Law Office and was the managing broker of real estate firm, Liberty Tree Properties.[2][3]
Before entering state politics, Odenbach served on the Spearfish School Board from 2017 to 2020.[4] He was elected to the state House in 2020. He was one of two representatives elected, the two of which defeated incumbent Dayle Hammock in the Republican primary. In South Dakota, two representatives are elected to each House district. Mary Fitzgerald (R) and Odenbach were each elected to House District 31 in the general election.
Following the June 2024 Republican primary, The South Dakota Searchlight's Joshua Haiar wrote, "[Odenbach] and others within a faction of the South Dakota Republican Party say it’s being run by politicians who are not as conservative as the party’s base of supporters. Their efforts to change that contributed to 14 losses by incumbent Republican legislators in Tuesday’s primary election. Odenbach’s political action committee spent $58,000 ahead of the primary in support of some winning candidates."[5] In November 2024, Haiar also wrote of the faction to which Odenbach belonged: "The leadership election in Pierre marked a consolidation of power for the faction, which has pushed for a more conservative agenda, including bills to regulate minors’ access to online pornography, curtail a controversial carbon capture pipeline, and cap property taxes."[6]
Heading into the 2025 legislative session, Odenbach said school vouchers and property tax relief would be priorities.[7] Multiple school voucher bills did not make it out of committee, while the legislature passed a senate property tax relief bill.[8][9]
Biography
Scott Odenbach was born in Eureka, South Dakota, in 1972. As of May 2025, Odenbach owned Odenbach Law Office and was the managing broker of real estate firm, Liberty Tree Properties.[2][3] He earned a bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University in 1995 and a J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2001.[4] His career experience includes working as an assistant general counsel with the Florida Department of Education, owning and working as the managing broker of Liberty Tree Properties, and owning and operating the Odenbach Law Office.[10][4][10]
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Odenbach was assigned to the following committees:
- House Legislative Procedure Committee
- Joint Legislative Procedure Committee
- House State Affairs Committee, Chair
2023-2024
Odenbach was assigned to the following committees:
2021-2022
Odenbach was assigned to the following committees:
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 (2 seats)
Incumbent Scott Odenbach and incumbent Mary Fitzgerald defeated Victoria Greenlee and Shana McVickers in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Scott Odenbach (R) | 38.1 | 9,100 |
| ✔ |  | Mary Fitzgerald (R) | 32.5 | 7,768 |
 | Victoria Greenlee (Independent)  | 16.7 | 3,986 | |
 | Shana McVickers (Independent) | 12.8 | 3,049 | |
| Total votes: 23,903 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 (2 seats)
Incumbent Scott Odenbach and incumbent Mary Fitzgerald defeated Mark Mowry in the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Odenbach | 43.9 | 2,321 |
| ✔ | | Mary Fitzgerald | 29.5 | 1,559 |
 | Mark Mowry | 26.6 | 1,406 | |
| Total votes: 5,286 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Odenbach in this election.
Pledges
Odenbach signed the following pledges.
2022
See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 (2 seats)
Incumbent Scott Odenbach and incumbent Mary Fitzgerald won election in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Odenbach (R) | 54.2 | 7,230 |
| ✔ | | Mary Fitzgerald (R) | 45.8 | 6,116 |
| Total votes: 13,346 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 (2 seats)
Incumbent Scott Odenbach and incumbent Mary Fitzgerald defeated Mistie Caldwell in the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Odenbach | 40.0 | 2,822 |
| ✔ | | Mary Fitzgerald | 36.1 | 2,544 |
| Mistie Caldwell | 23.9 | 1,685 | ||
| Total votes: 7,051 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 (2 seats)
Scott Odenbach and Mary Fitzgerald defeated Brooke Abdallah in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Odenbach (R) | 41.3 | 8,104 |
| ✔ | | Mary Fitzgerald (R) | 35.3 | 6,920 |
| Brooke Abdallah (D) | 23.4 | 4,590 | ||
| Total votes: 19,614 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Brooke Abdallah advanced from the Democratic primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 (2 seats)
Scott Odenbach and Mary Fitzgerald defeated Brandon Flanagan, incumbent Dayle Hammock, and Julie Ann Olson in the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Scott Odenbach | 30.2 | 1,871 |
| ✔ | | Mary Fitzgerald | 22.0 | 1,362 |
| Brandon Flanagan | 19.8 | 1,226 | ||
| Dayle Hammock | 15.1 | 935 | ||
| Julie Ann Olson | 13.0 | 805 | ||
| Total votes: 6,199 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Scott Odenbach did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Scott Odenbach did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Scott Odenbach did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the South Dakota State Legislature in 2025.
- Elevate Rapid City — Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community.
- Family Voice Action — Legislators are scored on bills related to family issues.
- Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.
- SD Citizens For Liberty — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Freedom Index — Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the South Dakota State Legislature in 2024.
- Elevate Rapid City — Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community.
- Family Voice Action — Legislators are scored on bills related to family issues.
- Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.
- SD Citizens For Liberty — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- South Dakota Right to Life — Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the South Dakota State Legislature in 2023.
- Elevate Rapid City — Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community.
- Family Heritage Alliance — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
- Family Voice Action — Legislators are scored on bills related to family issues.
- Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.
- SD Citizens For Liberty — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the South Dakota State Legislature in 2022.
- Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota/New Approach South Dakota/South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws — Legislators are scored on their votes related to cannabis.
- Elevate Rapid City — Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community.
- Family Heritage Alliance — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization.
- Family Voice Action — Legislators are scored on bills related to family issues.
- Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.
- National Federation of Independent Business — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- SD Citizens For Liberty — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- South Dakota Multi-Housing Association — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to housing.
- South Dakota Right to Life — Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.
Below you can find the scorecards found for the South Dakota State Legislature in 2021.
- Americans for Prosperity - South Carolina — Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues.
- Elevate Rapid City — Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community.
- Family Voice Action — Legislators are scored on bills related to family issues.
- Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce — Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.
- SD Citizens For Liberty — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- South Dakota Right to Life — Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.
- The American Conservative Union — Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 |
Officeholder South Dakota House of Representatives District 31 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ South Dakota Legislature Legislative Research Council, "Representative Scott Odenbach - 2025," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Representative Scott Odenbach, "Meet Scott," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 South Dakota Legislature Legislative Research Council, "Statehood Legislators," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Odenbach Law Office, "About Us," accessed April 1, 2021
- ↑ South Dakota Searchlight, "New landscape confronts South Dakota Republicans after political earthquake shakes incumbents," June 5, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Searchlight, "Staunch conservatives take leadership positions in GOP-led state Legislature," November 9, 2024
- ↑ SDPB, "House Majority Leader Odenbach gives 2025 session preview," January 7, 2025
- ↑ Dakota News Now, "House committee sends school voucher bills to 41st day," January 29, 2025
- ↑ South Dakota Seachlight, "Rhoden signs property tax relief bill with eye toward another solution," March 13, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Facebook, "Scott Odenbach," accessed April 1, 2021
