Carole Kay Hillard (née Rypkema; August 14, 1936 – October 25, 2007) was the first woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota.
Hillard, a Republican, was elected as lieutenant governor in 1994 and was re-elected in 1998 as the running mate of Bill Janklow; she served from 1995 to 2003.
She was instrumental in the foundation of the Rapid City woman's shelter and the Cornerstone Rescue Mission and was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2007.
Congressman Tim Johnson of South Dakota's At-large congressional district decided to retire to run for the U.S. Senate.
[1] Hillard suffered a spinal fracture and three broken ribs on October 8, 2007, while sailing on a boat with friends in the Adriatic Sea.