South Dakota Treasurer election, 2026
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| South Dakota Treasurer |
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| Election details |
| Filing deadline: — |
| General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| South Dakota executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
South Dakota is holding an election for treasurer on November 3, 2026.
In South Dakota, political parties select their state executive candidates at conventions rather than through primaries, with the governor being the only exception. As of January 2026, the dates of the conventions had not yet been announced.
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for South Dakota Treasurer
Heath Shields is running in the general election for South Dakota Treasurer on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Heath Shields (R)  | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
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Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Heath Shields (R)
I am running for South Dakota State Treasurer because I believe public office is a calling rooted in stewardship, integrity, and accountability. My faith shapes my commitment to serve honestly, manage taxpayer dollars responsibly, and treat every public dollar as a trust. South Dakota deserves leadership that honors proven conservative principles while remaining transparent, disciplined, and focused on long-term stability for future generations.
2. Proven Business Leadership and Financial Experience
With more than 20 years of entrepreneurial and executive experience, I have built and managed businesses that produced over $100 million in revenue across multiple industries. I understand budgets, risk management, cash flow, and accountability. As Treasurer, I will apply real-world financial discipline to safeguard state funds, strengthen fiscal security, modernize processes, and ensure efficient, conservative management of South Dakota’s finances.
3. Building on a Strong Foundation with the 777 Plan
Heath Shields (R)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in South Dakota
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $97,185, according to the Council of State Governments.[1]
2018
In 2018, the treasurer received a salary of $89,700 according to the Council of State Governments.[2]
2014
See also: South Dakota down ballot state executive elections, 2014
Republican incumbent Richard Sattgast won re-election on November 4, 2014.
| South Dakota Treasurer, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Richard Sattgast Incumbent |
61.2% | 155,758 | |
| Democratic | Denny Pierson | 33.5% | 85,202 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Santema | 5.3% | 13,615 | |
| Total Votes | 254,575 | |||
| Election results via South Dakota Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota's At-Large | Dusty Johnson | R+15 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota's At-Large | 34.0% | 63.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 94.8% of South Dakotans lived in one of the state's 60 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 4.9% lived in one of 5 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, South Dakota was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in South Dakota following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| South Dakota county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 60 | 94.8% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 5 | 4.9% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 5 | 4.9% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 61 | 95.1% | |||||
Historical voting trends
South Dakota presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 3 Democratic wins
- 28 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[3] | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in South Dakota.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of South Dakota
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in South Dakota.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of South Dakota's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from South Dakota | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 3 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in South Dakota's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Larry Rhoden |
| Lieutenant Governor | Tony Venhuizen |
| Secretary of State | Monae Johnson |
| Attorney General | Marty J. Jackley |
State legislature
South Dakota State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | |
South Dakota House of Representatives
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Trifecta control
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in South Dakota and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for South Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | United States | |
| Population | 886,667 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 75,807 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 81.5% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 2.2% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 7.7% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 1.4% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 5.6% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.6% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 31.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $72,421 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 12% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| South Dakota | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
