Dennis Daugaard

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, he was a lawyer, banker, development director for a nonprofit organization; he also served as a state senator from 1997 to 2003 and the 37th lieutenant governor of South Dakota from 2003 to 2011.

Background, education and family 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. His paternal grandparents were immigrants from Denmark. While Dennis Daugaard was growing up, his family's primary language at home was American Sign Language.

Daugaard worked as an executive banker in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from 1981 to 1990. He then worked for the Children's Home Society of South Dakota, as Development Director from 1990 to 2002 and Executive Director from 2002 to 2009.

South Dakota lieutenant governor Daugaard was elected Lieutenant Governor in 2002 and reelected in 2006. As a lieutenant governor, he served as the president of the South Dakota Senate. Daugaard was the first child of deaf adults to be elected governor of any state. During his campaign, he stressed that he has often promoted issues affecting the deaf and hard of hearing, and is sympathetic to their children, most of whom are hearing, as he is. He worked with Daugaard to build government-to-government working relationships on issues such as "housing, economic development, public safety, and human services." In rankings published in July 2018, he was 5th most popular, with an approval rating of 61%.

On October 23, 2018, Daugaard endorsed Kristi Noem for governor in the imminent election.

Electoral history