Tonnis Henry Venhuizen (born October 8, 1982) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 40th lieutenant governor of South Dakota since 2025.
Venhuizen's maternal grandfather, Henry Poppen, served as a Republican Party member of the South Dakota Senate from 1967 to 1992.
In twelfth grade, Venhuizen served as a page at the Senate, where he met Dennis Daugaard, then a state legislator, and his daughter, Sara.
The nomination received criticism from the executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, who accused Daugaard of nepotism.
[15] In early 2023, Venhuizen proposed House Bill 1055, which would increase the amount of money awarded from the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship from $6,500 to $7,500.
[17] In December 2023, Venhuizen introduced a bill alongside Casey Crabtree that would allow voters to decide if work requirements should be considered for those enrolled in the Medicaid government program.
A similar resolution, also introduced by Venhuizen, earlier in the year was struck down by a South Dakota Senate committee due to its broad language.
[19][20] On January 25, 2025, Noem resigned from her post as governor after being confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the secretary of homeland security.
[23] On January 30, both the Senate and House unanimously confirmed his appointment and Venhuizen was sworn in as the 40th lieutenant governor of South Dakota.