March 5, 2018

Special Report:  Legislative Term Limits

This information was published before the 2018 legislative session convened.  With the end of session at hand and the filing deadline for legislators to decide if they are going to seek another term, the information is again relevant and timely.

The 2018 legislative session is the final session for five members of the House of Representatives and four members of the Senate.  Elected to these seats in 2010, and reelected in 2012-2016, each of these individuals have served the full four terms (eight sessions) allowed under South Dakota term limits. 

Those facing term limits have several choices.

1.     They can seek election to the other legislative body – this works best if the person filling that seat(s) is willing to switch or, better yet, has reached their own term limit.

2.     Stay out for a term or two and run to regain the seat which would restart the term limit clock.  This can prove to be awkward since the person who filled the seat is eligible to run for their second term.  But what the heck, this isn’t a game of “hide and seek” and there is no base. 

South Dakota uses a system that technically has two people representing each legislative district in the House of Representatives* (and one Senator from each district).  To be clear, House members who have reached their term limit cannot run for the “other seat” and stay in the House; they must run for the Senate or leave the legislature.

*There are two legislative districts that have been divided and have one person elected from each half of the entire district – Districts 26 & 28 have House districts 26A/26B and 28A/28B, respectively.

Below you will find a listing of the legislators who are term limited and the situation of the other legislators from that district. 

Senators

Jason Frerichs: Dist. 1 (D) Wilmont

            House members are:

• Steven McCleerey (D) Sisseton – 2^nd term
• Susan Wismer (D) Britton – 1^st term - Democrat nominee for Governor in 2014; Served in the House 2009-2014

Deb Peters: Dist. 9 (R) Hartford

            House members are:

• Michael Clark (R ) Hartford – 1^st term
• Wayne Steinhauer (R ) Hartford – 1^st term (was appointed to the 2016 session by Governor Daugaard) 

Billie H. Sutton: Dist. 21 (D) Burke – Seeking Democratic Party nomination for Governor

            House members are:

• Julie Bartling (D) Gregory – 3^rd term – Served in the House 2001-04 and the Senate 2005-10
• Lee Qualm (R ) Platte – 3^rd term 

Larry Tidemann: Dist. 7 (R ) Brookings

            House members are:

• Spencer Hawley (D) Brookings – 4^th term
• Tim Reed (R ) Brookings – 1^st term

Representatives

Kristin Conzet: Dist. 32 (R ) Rapid City – Initially appointed by Governor Daugaard

• Other House Member:  Sean McPherson (R) Rapid City – 1^st term
• Senator:  Alan Solano (R) Rapid City – 2^nd term – appointed by Governor Daugaard 

Spencer Hawley: Dist. 7 (D) Brookings

• Other House Member:  Tim Reed (R) Brookings – 1^st term
• Senator:  Larry Tidemann (R) Brookings – 4^th term

Tona Rozum: Dist. 20 (R) Mitchell

• Other House Member:  Lance Carson (R) Mitchell – 1^st term – Served in House 2007-2014
• Senator:  Joshua Klumb (R) Mount Vernon – 1^st term – served in House 2015-16

 James G. Schaefer:  Dist. 26B (R) Kennebec

• Other House Member: None - Single member district
• Senator: Troy Heinert (D) Mission – 2^nd term – served in House 2013-14

• Other House Member: Lana Greenfield (R) Doland – 2^nd term
• Senator: Brock Greenfield (R) Clark – 2^nd term

Nearing the End!

The following legislators will be completing their 3^rd terms during the 2018 legislative session and are eligible to run in 2018 for the same seat and their 4^th term.

Senators

Bob Ewing – Dist. 31 (R) Spearfish 

Phil Jensen – Dist. 33 (R) Rapid City

Jeff Monroe – Dist. 24 (R) Pierre

Ernie Otten – Dist. 6 (R) Tea

Deb Soholt – Dist. 14 (R) Sioux Falls

Jim White – Dist. 22 (R) Huron

Representatives

Julie Bartling – Dist. 21 (D) Gregory

Blaine B. Campbell – Dist. 35 (R) Rapid City

Mary Duvall – Dist. 24 (R) Pierre

Leslie Heinemann – Dist. 8 (R) Flandreau

Timothy R. Johns – Dist. 31 (R) Lead

Dan Kaiser – Dist. 3 (R) Aberdeen

Isaac Latterell – Dist. 6 (R) Tea

Elizabeth May – Dist. 27 (R) Kyle

Mark Mickelson – Dist. 13 (R) Sioux Falls

Herman Otten – Dist. 6 (R) Lennox

Lee Qualm – Dist. 21 (R) Platte

Nancy Rasmussen – Dist. 17 (R) Hurley

Ray Ring – Dist. 17 (D) Vermillion

Tim Rounds – Dist. 24 (R) Pierre

Kyle Schoenfish – Dist. 19 (R) Scotland

Karen Soli – Dist. 15 (D) Sioux Falls

Mike Stevens – Dist. 18 (R) Yankton

Terms of the Entire Legislature

Each of these legislators may have served prior terms or served reviously in the other body.  The term limits apply strictly to their current seats as of the current session. 

• 4^th term – 9 legislators (4 Senators; 5 Representatives)
• 3^rd term – 23 legislators (6 Senators; 17 Representatives)
• 2^nd term – 22 legislators (8 Senators; 14 Representatives)
• 1^st term – 48 legislators (17 Senators; 31 Representatives)

Election Dates from the Secretary of State’s Office

Date of South Dakota's 2018 Primary Election - June 5, 2018
Voter Registration Deadline - May 21, 2018 
Absentee voting begins April 20, 2018

Date of South Dakota's 2018 General Election - November 6, 2018
Voter Registration Deadline - October 22, 2018
Absentee voting begins September 21, 2018

Petition filing deadlines:

• March 27, 2018 for Primary Election candidates
• April 24, 2018 for Independent candidates
• Candidate Financial Interest Statements (FIS) must be filed within 15 days after filing in the office where the candidate nominating petition or convention nomination certification was filed.