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Dennis Daugaard

Mike's Choice for Lieutenant Governor
When Mike Rounds became the Republican candidate for Governor in June, 2002, there was wide speculation regarding who would be his choice for Lieutenant Governor.  Some thought he would make a geographically-based decision, choosing someone from Sioux Falls or Rapid City in order to draw more votes from one of the state’s largest communities. Others were sure he would “balance” the ticket with a female for Lieutenant governor.  Still others advised him to select a running mate with exceptional name ID throughout the state.

The speculation ended in late June, 2002 when Mike announced that Dennis Daugaard had accepted his offer to be his running mate on the November general election ballot.  For Mike, the decision was easy.  He stated that the criteria he used in selecting a running mate were simple.  “If something were to happen to me, I wanted the person that I believe would be a good governor.  Secondly, I wanted a person that would be a team player, bringing special talents and experience to the job.  Senator Dennis Daugaard fits that description.”

Mike introduced Dennis as “the product of a one-room South Dakota school” as well as “the University of South Dakota, and Northwestern University School of Law.”  He went on to say, “Dennis is a long time advocate for children with special needs.  He has the business expertise that helped build an endowment fund from $750,000 to over $10 million in a little over 10 years.”

A former State Senator, Dennis’s first four years in the State Senate coincided with Mike’s last 4 years as Senate Majority Leader.  The two became friends and Mike saw Dennis as a person of great integrity and character.  That high regard remains today and Governor Rounds is extremely proud to have Dennis Daugaard as his running mate for the 2nd time.


Personal / Family Background
Dennis grew up on a family dairy farm near Garretson, SD.  His grandparents came from Denmark and had purchased the farm’s home quarter in 1911.

The Daugaard family raised cattle, hogs, and chickens, and grew corn, soybeans, oats, and hay.  During Dennis’s grade school years, his family turned to dairy farming.  He arose each day at 5 a.m. to help his dad milk and repeated the job every evening at 5 p.m.  Both of Dennis’s parents were deaf, making sign language a way life for his family. Dennis is fluent in American Sign Language, and has been certified as an interpreter for the deaf.

Dennis attended a one-room country school for grades 1-7, until it was consolidated into the Dell Rapids school district.  Following graduation from Dell Rapids High School in 1971, he attended the University of South Dakota.  He worked his way through college, with jobs as a dishwasher, waiter, painter, and welding water towers for Maguire Iron.  In 1975, Dennis graduated from USD with a Bachelor of Science degree in Government, with minors in Mathematics and Psychology.

While attending law school at Northwestern University in Chicago, Dennis held jobs as a bus driver, law clerk and security guard.  After earning a Juris Doctor degree in Law in 1978, he passed the Illinois bar exam and worked in the Chicago area for three years.

Dennis returned to South Dakota in 1981 to marry his high school girlfriend, Linda Schmidt, of Dell Rapids.  In 1983, he and Linda purchased the original building site on the Daugaard family farm.  There they built the home where they raised their children, the fourth generation of Daugaards to live there.Daugaard Family

Dennis and Linda have been married for 25 years and all three of their children, Laura (22) and Sara (20) and Chris (19) attend South Dakota State University.  Sara’s husband, Tony Venhuizen, is a law student at USD.

Dennis worked as a trust officer at what is now US Bank in Sioux Falls from 1981 - 1990.  He administered estates and trusts, and managed personal trust business for eastern South Dakota.  While working at the bank, Dennis began to volunteer at Children’s Home Society (CHS) of South Dakota.  CHS provides a home, school, and therapy to emotionally distressed young children, and offers emergency shelter to battered women and abused or neglected children.  In 1990, Dennis left the bank to work full-time at CHS, and is now the Executive Director for that organization.


Legislative / Professional Background
An advocate for abused and neglected children, persons living with disabilities and the unborn, Lieutenant Governor Daugaard has a law degree and served six years in the South Dakota State Senate. Dennis was first elected in 1996, and was re-elected by wide margins in 1998 and 2000.

Dennis served on the following Senate Committees:

  • State Affairs
  • Commerce
  • Education
  • Taxation
  • Judiciary
  • Government Operations & Audit
  • Executive Board member - Legislative Research Council
  • Recipient of "Friend of Ethanol" award
  • Executive Director - Children's Home Society
  • Bachelors Degree - University of South Dakota, Vermillion
  • Law Degree - Northwestern University, Chicago
  • Fluent in American Sign Language - certified interpreter for the deaf

Dennis Daugaard