https://sodakgovs.com/2024/11/08/sd-legislative-republicans-elect-leadership/
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A little more about your new leadership in Pierre…
House Republicans
Leading the house majority will be Rep. Scott Odenbach of Spearfish, who will succeed Rep. Will Mortenson. Odenbach, an attorney and real estate agent, is entering his third term in the State House. Odenbach is the first party floor leader in state history to come from Spearfish.
Joining Odenbach on the house leadership team will be Rep. Jon Hansen, a Dell Rapids attorney, who Republicans nominated to serve as speaker of the house. (The speaker is elected by the entire house, but by tradition the majority caucus nominates the candidate.) Hansen has served in the House since 2019, after an earlier stint from 2011-13. He served as speaker pro tempore in 2021-22. Hansen will be the first Speaker in state history from Dell Rapids.
Hanson will be assisted by Rep. Karla Lems of Canton, who was nominated for speaker pro tempore. Lems is entering her second term in the House, and will be the first woman in state history to be speaker pro tempore.
Rep. Marty Overweg of New Holland was elected assistant majority leader. Overweg was appointed to the State House in 2020 by Governor Kristi Noem and is entering his third full term.
Rounding out the leadership team are majority whips Reps. Jessica Bahmuller of Alexandria, Les Heinemann of Flandreau, Greg Jamison of Sioux Falls, Brandei Schaefbauer of Aberdeen, and Bethany Soye of Sioux Falls.
Senate Republicans
Leading the Republican caucus as senate majority leader will be Sen. Jim Mehlhaff of Pierre. Mehlhaff is a retired state employee and is entering his second term in the State Senate. He is the fourth party floor leader from the Pierre/Fort Pierre community, following Homer Harding, who was the longest serving floor leader in state history, serving as senate minority leader in 1975-76 and majority leader from 1977-88; Mike Rounds, who was senate majority leader from 1995-2000; and Will Mortenson, who served the past two years as house majority leader.
Joining Mehlhaff in the Senate Republican leadership team will be Sen. Chris Karr of Sioux Falls, who was nominated by the caucus as president pro tempore. (The president pro tempore is elected by the entire Senate, but by tradition the majority caucus nominates the candidate.) Karr is new to the Senate after serving eight years in the House. He is the second president pro tempore from Sioux Falls.
Rounding out the leadership team are Sen. Carl Perry of Aberdeen, who will serve as assistant senate majority leader, and majority whips Sens. Sue Peterson of Sioux Falls, Randy Deibert of Spearfish, Kevin Jensen of Canton, and Tom Pischke of Dell Rapids.
Notably, both new majority leaders are natives of Eureka.
