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South Dakota, State House, District 23

South Dakota House of Representatives District 23
Current incumbentsSpencer Gosch Republican Party
James Wangsness Republican Party

South Dakota's twenty-third state house district is represented by Republican Representatives Spencer Gosch and James Wangsness.

South Dakota state representatives represent an average of 23,262 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 21,567 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the South Dakota House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. South Dakota legislators assume office the first day of session after election (Jan. 11).

Qualifications

To be eligible to serve in the South Dakota House of Representatives, a candidate must be:

  • A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
  • 21 years old at the filing deadline time
  • A two-year resident of South Dakota at the filing deadline time
  • May not have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime; may not have illegally taken "public moneys"
  • A qualified voter. A qualified voter is someone who is:
* A U.S. citizen
* Reside in South Dakota
* At least 18 years old old on or before the next election
* Not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction which included imprisonment, served or suspended, in an adult penitentiary system
* Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law
* Not have served 4 consecutive terms

Salaries

State legislators
SalaryPer diem
$11,379/session$144/legislative day

Term limits

The South Dakota legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the South Dakota Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that South Dakota representatives are subject to term limits of no more than four consecutive two-year terms, or eight consecutive years. Representatives can run again after they have been out of office for a term.

The South Dakota State Legislature has tried on more than one occasion, each time unsuccessfully, to persuade the state's voters to repeal term limits. The most recent such failed attempt was when Amendment J lost in 2008 by 75-25%.

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2000.

Vacancies

Under the state constitution, the Governor is responsible for appointing a replacement in the event a vacancy happens in the house. There are no deadlines set in the state constitution to when the Governor has to fill the vacancy.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of South Dakota House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for June 2, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline is March 31, 2020.

2018

General election
General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)

Incumbent Spencer Gosch (R) and incumbent John Lake (R) defeated Eleanor Iverson (D) and Margaret Ann Walsh (D) in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes

Spencer Gosch (R)
41.0
7,115

John Lake (R)
37.0
6,435

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Eleanor Iverson (D)
12.1
2,105

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Margaret Ann Walsh (D)
9.9
1,717

Total votes: 17,372
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)

Philip Testerman and Eleanor Iverson advanced from the Democratic primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 on June 5, 2018.

Candidate

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Philip Testerman (D)

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Eleanor Iverson (D)

Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 (2 seats)

Incumbent John Lake and incumbent Spencer Gosch advanced from the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 on June 5, 2018.

Candidate

John Lake (R)

Spencer Gosch (R)

2016

Elections for the South Dakota House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was March 29, 2016. Incumbents Justin Cronin (R) and Michele Harrison (R) did not seek re-election.

Spencer Gosch and John Lake were unopposed in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 general election.

South Dakota House of Representatives, District 23 General Election, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.png Spencer Gosch 53.81% 7,099
Republican Green check mark transparent.png John Lake 46.19% 6,094
Total Votes 13,193
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State


John Lake and Spencer Gosch defeated Charles Hoffman and incumbent Dick Werner in the South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 Republican primary.

South Dakota House of Representatives, District 23 Republican Primary, 2016

Party Candidate Vote % Votes
Republican Green check mark transparent.png John Lake 31.16% 2,466
Republican Green check mark transparent.png Spencer Gosch 26.98% 2,135
Republican Charles Hoffman 21.55% 1,705
Republican Dick Werner Incumbent 20.31% 1,607
Total Votes 7,913

2014

Elections for the South Dakota House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 25, 2014. Incumbent Justin Cronin and Michele Harrison defeated Larry Nielson, Dale Hargens and Gene Toennies in the Republican primary. Cronin and Harrison were unopposed in the general election.

South Dakota House of Representatives, District 23 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngJustin Cronin Incumbent 36.2% 2,578
Green check mark transparent.pngMichele Harrison 20.8% 1,480
Larry Nielson 18.2% 1,293
Gene Toennies 12.6% 897
Dale Hargens 12.3% 874
Total Votes 7,122

2012

Elections for the office of South Dakota House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on June 5, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 27, 2011. Incumbents Justin Cronin (R) and Charles Hoffman (R) were unopposed in the general election.

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2016, candidates for South Dakota House of Representatives District 23 raised a total of $122,046. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $4,208 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, South Dakota House of Representatives District 23

Year Amount Candidates Average
2016 $36,943 4 $9,236
2014 $27,265 5 $5,453
2012 * $9,350 2 $4,675
2010 $5,996 2 $2,998
2008 $12,929 3 $4,310
2006 $5,409 2 $2,705
2004 $1,550 2 $775
2002 $14,551 5 $2,910
2000 $8,053 4 $2,013
Total $122,046 29 $4,208
* Campaign finance data for 2012 is incomplete for this district.