Dennis Daugaard Bio
Dennis Martin Daugaard (born June 11, 1953) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 32nd governor of South Dakota from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the first chief executive of a U.S. state to be the child of deaf parents. Before being elected governor, Dennis Daugaard built a career as a lawyer, banker, and nonprofit executive, and he served as a South Dakota state senator from 1997 to 2003 and as the 37th lieutenant governor of the state from 2003 to 2011.
Across two terms as governor, Dennis Martin Daugaard became known for his work on behalf of children, people with disabilities, tribal relations, and economic development in South Dakota. After leaving office, he returned to private life with a reputation as a steady, low-key Midwestern leader.
Early Life and Background
Dennis Martin Daugaard was born in 1953 and raised on a family farm near Garretson, South Dakota, the son of Florence Margaret (Kennedy) and Raymond Victor Daugaard. Both of his parents were deaf, and his paternal grandparents were immigrants from Denmark. While Dennis Daugaard was growing up, his family’s primary language at home was American Sign Language, an upbringing that shaped his lifelong interest in the deaf and hard of hearing community.
As a child, Dennis Daugaard attended a local one-room country school. For high school, he had to go to the city of Dell Rapids, where he played the French horn and graduated in 1971. He later attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he was advised by William O. Farber, and graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science in government. He then earned a JD from Northwestern University School of Law in 1978, working his way through law school as an American Sign Language interpreter, a bus driver, a law clerk, and a security guard.
Path to US Politics
After law school, Dennis Daugaard worked as an attorney in Chicago from 1978 to 1981, gaining early professional experience in the private sector. He returned to South Dakota that same year, marrying Linda Schmidt and beginning a long career in business and nonprofit work in his home state. From 1981 to 1990, he served as an executive banker in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, building financial expertise that would later support his public-policy work.
In 1990, Dennis Martin Daugaard shifted to the nonprofit world, joining the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota as Development Director, a role he held from 1990 to 2002, and then serving as its Executive Director from 2002 to 2009. His entry into electoral politics came in 1996, when he was elected to the South Dakota State Senate as a Republican. He remained a state senator until 2002, when he was elected the 37th lieutenant governor of South Dakota as the running mate of Governor Mike Rounds.
Dennis Daugaard Career
Early Career (1978–1996)
Dennis Daugaard began his professional career as an attorney in Chicago from 1978 to 1981, after earning his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. Returning to South Dakota in 1981, he transitioned into banking, working as an executive banker in Sioux Falls from 1981 to 1990. These early years gave him a blend of legal, financial, and management experience.
In 1990, Dennis Martin Daugaard moved into the nonprofit sector, joining the Children’s Home Society of South Dakota as Development Director. He held that position from 1990 to 2002, building the organization’s fundraising capacity and raising his public profile on children’s issues. His growing reputation for steady leadership set the stage for his first run for elected office in 1996.
Breakthrough (1996–2010)
Dennis Daugaard’s breakthrough into elected office came in 1996, when he won a seat in the South Dakota State Senate as a Republican. While serving in the state legislature, he said his priorities were helping children and the disabled, as well as reducing crime. He remained a state senator until 2002, when he was chosen as the running mate of Governor Mike Rounds and elected the 37th lieutenant governor of South Dakota.
As lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2011, Dennis Martin Daugaard also served as President of the South Dakota Senate. He chaired the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council, which reviewed South Dakota’s worker compensation program, and he sat on a commission dealing with state constitutional amendments. In 2009, he promoted legislation to establish the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, an organization created to promote and manage economic development in Rapid City and other areas surrounding Ellsworth Air Force Base in western South Dakota. He also supported the Honor Flight program, which honors World War II veterans.
Republican Era (2011–2019)
In 2010, Dennis Daugaard ran for the Republican nomination for governor of South Dakota and won the primary against several other candidates. He chose Matt Michels as his running mate, and his campaign was led by his son-in-law Tony Venhuizen. The Daugaard and Michels ticket beat the Democratic nominees Scott Heidepriem and Ben Arndt by 61.5% to 38.5% in the November general election, making Dennis Daugaard the first child of deaf adults to be elected governor of any U.S. state.
Early in his administration, Dennis Martin Daugaard established the first Office of Tribal Relations in his cabinet, appointing J.R. LaPlante of the Cheyenne River Sioux as its secretary. No other state government had such an office, and LaPlante worked with the governor to build government-to-government relationships on issues such as housing, economic development, public safety, and human services. In 2011, Daugaard appointed Dusty Johnson as his chief of staff, and in 2014, he appointed his son-in-law and former campaign director Tony Venhuizen to the same role. A Morning Consult poll conducted from May through September 2016 found that Dennis Daugaard was the most popular governor of any U.S. state, with a 74% statewide approval rating, and in rankings published in July 2018, he was the 5th most popular, with a 61% approval rating. Daugaard and Michels were reelected in 2014, and on October 23, 2018, Dennis Daugaard endorsed Kristi Noem for governor in the imminent election.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Dennis Martin Daugaard’s time in office was his 2011 creation of the Office of Tribal Relations, the first of its kind in any U.S. state government, and his appointment of J.R. LaPlante to lead it. Another milestone came with his 2010 election as the first governor in U.S. history who was raised by deaf parents, a distinction he often tied to his support for the deaf and hard of hearing community. In 2016, he reached the top of the Morning Consult governor approval rankings, capping a sustained run of high public approval ratings.
Dennis Daugaard Career Wins
Across more than two decades in public life, Dennis Daugaard built a steady record of electoral wins at the state level in South Dakota. His victories include a 1996 race for the South Dakota State Senate, two wins for lieutenant governor in 2002 and 2006, and two wins for governor in 2010 and 2014, all as the Republican nominee.
South Dakota Statewide Highlights
Dennis Daugaard’s first statewide win came in 2002, when he was elected the 37th lieutenant governor of South Dakota as the running mate of Governor Mike Rounds. He was reelected to the same office in 2006, giving him eight continuous years as lieutenant governor. In 2010, he won the Republican primary and then the general election for governor by a margin of 61.5% to 38.5% against Scott Heidepriem and Ben Arndt, and in 2014, he and running mate Matt Michels were returned to the governor’s office for a second term.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond electoral success, Dennis Martin Daugaard is recognized as a historic first: he was the first chief executive of a U.S. state to be the child of deaf parents, and during his time in office he consistently ranked among the most popular governors in the country, including a leading 74% approval rating in a 2016 Morning Consult survey.
Dennis Daugaard Family
Family Background and Lineage
Dennis Martin Daugaard was born into a family with deep South Dakota roots, the son of Florence Margaret (Kennedy) and Raymond Victor Daugaard. Both of his parents were deaf, and his paternal grandparents were immigrants from Denmark who settled in the region. Because his parents were deaf, American Sign Language was the primary language spoken in the Daugaard household, an experience that shaped his lifelong connection to the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Personal Life
Dennis Daugaard married Linda Schmidt in 1981, and the couple has three children: daughters Laura and Sara, and a son, Christopher. Laura is married to Jay Mitchell, Sara is married to Tony Venhuizen, and Christopher is married to Emily Conway. Tony Venhuizen also served in his father-in-law’s administration, first as campaign director and later as chief of staff beginning in 2014.