Dennis M. Daugaard (born June 11, 1953) is the current Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota. He was elected in 2002 on a ticket with Governor Mike Rounds, and the two were re-elected in 2006.

Prior to his current office, Daugaard served as a member of the South Dakota State Senate from 1997 to 2003. He is the executive director of the Children's Home Society of South Dakota. Daugaard has indicated that he is planning to seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2010.

Official Duties

Under the South Dakota Constitution, Daugaard serves as President of the South Dakota Senate. In addition, he serves as chair of the Worker's Compensation Advisory Council, which reviews and makes recommendations regarding the state's workers' compensation program.

Daugaard also undertakes other duties as assigned by the governor. He has served as a member of a commission that dealt with amendments to the legislative article of South Dakota's Constitution, and was chairman of a state task force that considered options to reduce the number of South Dakotans without health insurance coverage.

Personal and Family background

Daugaard was raised on a family farm near Garretson, South Dakota. He attended country school and graduated from Dell Rapids High School in 1971. He attended the University of South Dakota, receiving a Bachelors Degree in Political Science. While at USD, Daugaard's advisor was Prof. W.O. Farber. Daugaard received his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois.

Daugaard and his wife, Linda, have been married since 1981 and have three children: Laura; Sara, who is married to Tony Venhuizen; and Christopher.

External links

• Website of the Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota
• Dennis Daugaard's historical listing at the South Dakota State Legislature