Last updated on 2017-06-06
If Democratic Senator Billie Sutton has any trouble connecting with young urban voters, perhaps he can remind them of what Tom Lawrence observes—Sutton would be South Dakota’s youngest governor:
Sutton, a state senator from Burke, announced last week he is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for governor in 2018. If he can gain the nomination and win the general election, he would be governor at the tender age of 34 [Tom Lawrence, “Billie Sutton: It’s Time for Change in Pierre,” Prairie Perspective, 2017.06.05].
34 years, 9 months, 20 days, to be exact.** The youngest man so far to win election to the Governor’s chair is Dick Kneip, who was 37 years, 11 months, and 29 days when he took office in 1971. Kneip was also a Democrat, and his lieutenant governor in his first two terms, Bill Dougherty, was only nine months older than Kneip.* (Hmm… so to replicate Kneip’s success, what early-30-something does Sutton choose as his running mate?)
Sutton’s main Republican rivals are no old geezers, but Sutton still has them beat by a fair chunk. On Inauguration Day 2019, Kristi Noem will be 47.10** years old. Marty Jackley will be 48.23**, nine days older than Mike Rounds when he took office in 2003. Both of the GOP leaders would be older than the ever youthful George S. Mickelson, who swore his oath a month shy of 46 in 1987.
| Governor | birthdate | took office | age at start (days) | years | months | days |
| Arthur Calvin Mellette | June 23, 1842 | March 22, 1889 | 17074 | 46 | 8 | 30 |
| Charles H. Sheldon | September 12, 1840 | January 3, 1893 | 19106 | 52 | 3 | 22 |
| Andrew E. Lee | March 18, 1847 | January 1, 1897 | 18187 | 49 | 9 | 14 |
| Charles Nelson Herreid | October 20, 1857 | January 8, 1901 | 15785 | 43 | 2 | 19 |
| Samuel H. Elrod | May 1, 1856 | January 3, 1905 | 17778 | 48 | 8 | 2 |
| Coe I. Crawford | January 14, 1858 | January 8, 1907 | 17890 | 48 | 11 | 25 |
| Robert Scadden Vessey | May 16, 1858 | January 5, 1909 | 18496 | 50 | 7 | 20 |
| Frank M. Byrne | October 23, 1858 | January 7, 1913 | 19799 | 54 | 2 | 15 |
| Peter Norbeck | August 27, 1870 | January 2, 1917 | 16929 | 46 | 4 | 6 |
| William Henry McMaster | May 10, 1877 | January 4, 1921 | 15944 | 43 | 7 | 25 |
| Carl Gunderson | June 20, 1864 | January 6, 1925 | 22114 | 60 | 6 | 17 |
| William John Bulow | January 13, 1869 | January 4, 1927 | 21174 | 57 | 11 | 22 |
| Warren Everett Green | March 10, 1869 | January 6, 1931 | 22581 | 61 | 9 | 27 |
| Tom Berry | April 23, 1879 | January 3, 1933 | 19613 | 53 | 8 | 11 |
| Leslie Jensen | September 15, 1892 | January 5, 1937 | 16182 | 44 | 3 | 21 |
| Harlan John Busfield | August 6, 1882 | January 3, 1939 | 20603 | 56 | 4 | 28 |
| Merrill Quentin Sharpe | January 11, 1888 | January 5, 1943 | 20082 | 54 | 11 | 25 |
| George Theodore Mickelson | July 23, 1903 | January 7, 1947 | 15874 | 43 | 5 | 15 |
| Sigurd Anderson | January 22, 1904 | January 2, 1951 | 17147 | 46 | 11 | 11 |
| Joe Foss | April 17, 1915 | January 4, 1955 | 14507 | 39 | 8 | 18 |
| Ralph E. Herseth | July 2, 1909 | January 6, 1959 | 18085 | 49 | 6 | 4 |
| Archie M. Gubbrud | December 31, 1910 | January 3, 1961 | 18266 | 50 | 0 | 3 |
| Nils Andreas Boe | September 10, 1913 | January 5, 1965 | 18745 | 51 | 3 | 26 |
| Frank Leroy Farrar | April 2, 1929 | January 7, 1969 | 14525 | 39 | 9 | 5 |
| Richard Francis Kneip | January 7, 1933 | January 5, 1971 | 13877 | 37 | 11 | 29 |
| Harvey Lowell Wollman | May 14, 1935 | July 24, 1978 | 15777 | 43 | 2 | 10 |
| William John Janklow | September 13, 1939 | January 1, 1979 | 14355 | 39 | 3 | 19 |
| George Speaker Mickelson | January 31, 1941 | January 6, 1987 | 16776 | 45 | 11 | 6 |
| Walter Dale Miller | October 5, 1925 | April 19, 1993 | 24668 | 67 | 6 | 14 |
| Marion Michael Rounds | October 24, 1954 | January 7, 2003 | 17607 | 48 | 2 | 14 |
| Dennis Martin Daugaard | June 11, 1953 | January 8, 2011 | 21030 | 57 | 6 | 28 |
The median age of the 31 men who have governed this state at their first inaugurals is 48.98 (Coe Crawford, born 1858, governed 1907–1909).
Sutton would be South Dakota’s fifth 30-something governor, along with Kneip and 39-er (on Day 1) Republicans Joe Foss, Frank Farrar, and Bill Janklow. Sixteen men have taken the office in their 40s, nine in their 50s, and two—Warren Green and Walter Dale Miller—in their 60s.
Add to Sutton’s agenda figuring out whether his historic youth can drive some historic youth voting in 2018.
Update 18:53 CDT: Which counties have the youngest populations in South Dakota? Minnehaha, Lincoln, Pennington, Meade, Brookings, and Clay—our two metro areas and our two biggest university counties.
*Correction 2017.06.06 09:49 CDT: I incorrectly stated that Harvey Wollman (also a young man then, serving in the Senate at age 35) was Kneip’s LG in 1971. Tony Venhuizen reminds me that Dougherty served under Kneip from 1971 to 1975; Kneip tapped Wollman as his running mate after Dougherty tried to primary Kneip in 1974.
**Correction 2017.06.06 09:55 CDT: I originally calculated age at inauguration based on the second first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. Venhuizen calculates inaugural ages from the first Saturday in January, the traditional inaugural date. I have changed my numbers to reflect this traditional date, which in January 2019 will be three days earlier than the first post-Monday Tuesday.
He is a young fellow indeed. He seems wiser than his years, but I wonder if the youth thing is really a weight strapped to his waist. How old is Ms. Noem, is she in her 30’s? Mr. Jackley, while youthful looking, must be 40ish.
No offense intended, Mr. H. I realize you are probably late 30’s and you seem wiser than your years as well.
Noem just graduated from college a few years ago so she must be about 25-27 now.
grudz
If you actually read the blog post you would learn how old Noem and Jackley are.
Indeed, Mr. C. They are still young pups indeed.
Billie Sutton has something else in common with Dick Kneip and that is IMHO the best candidate the Dems have put up since Kneip. Of course I was 2 years old when Kneip left office, but my parents remembered him as a young man who connected well with voters across party lines.
It’s going to be a tough race, but if anyone can pull it off after 40 years it’ll be Billie Sutton. Don’t underestimate this young man.
I agree, this the best level headed candidate the Dems have put for Governor in some time.
Shaping up for an election with some very qualified people.
Thousands of people every week would pass by Kneip Implement Co. in Arlington every week … on their way to the big town of Madison. You can’t buy publicity like that. :0)
@PorterLansing: I thought Kneip owned Kneip Sales, a dairy equipment wholesaler, in Salem SD. Also he was a State Senator from McCook County while Arlington is in Kingsbury and Brookings County.
You’re probably right, Don. The Arlington Kneip’s must be related. It’s not a very common name. Let me GOOGLE it.
From the “Things Old Retired Men Do On A Tuesday Morning” file … I found an obituary from an Arlington Kneip who was Governor’s brother. ~ Tom enjoyed politics and managed his brother Dick’s campaign for Governor. Tom was a member of St. Thomas More Parish, the VFW, and the American Legion. He enjoyed SDSU athletics and had a true passion for visiting and meeting new people.
If I were running for Governor (hmm… Billie might benefit from a primary challenge), I’d tell my brother to put up a big “HEIDELBERGER PAINTING” sign in Madison and paint the name big on every vehicle in the paint crew fleet. Whether my brother would do it is a separate question… :-D
Billie would NOT benefit from a Heidelberger challenge in a primary because he’d lose to said Heidelberger. lol 🗳 Having watched exchanges between the Heidelberger boys on the blog I’d wonder if he’d vote for his bro Cory? He’d probably be served the chicken back and neck at the next family dinner.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Porter. But you haven’t seen my brother here. Maybe you’re thinking of my radical right-wing cousin Aaron?
Sorry, Brother Painter. I am referring to your radical right-wing cousin AAAron. It’s none of my business but are you and your brother adopted? If so, your parents did a great job. If not, your parents did a great job. lol PS … this is research into my assertion that SoDak’s biggest opportunity is accepting, embracing and exploring it’s German heritage.