The current governor is Larry Rhoden, representing the Republican Party, serving since 2025.
[2] The Constitution of South Dakota originally provided for the election of a governor and lieutenant governor every two years with no limits.
A law passed in 1947 prohibited parties from nominating someone who had served two consecutive terms, effectively creating a term limit, and an amendment in 1972 increased term lengths to four years while formally prohibiting someone from serving three consecutive terms.
[3] The Republican Party has been in control of the governorship continuously since 1979, Democrats last won the governorship of South Dakota in 1974.
This is the longest drought of any state where the opposite party last held the office.