On April 28, the independent filing deadline passed to run for elected office in South Dakota. Candidates filed for the following offices:

• South Dakota State Senate District 25
• South Dakota State Senate District 35
• South Dakota House of Representatives District 17
• South Dakota House of Representatives District 29

Any candidate for nonjudicial public office who is not nominated by a primary election may be nominated as an independent candidate by filing with the South Dakota Secretary of State or county auditor. Filing must be completed no earlier than 8 a.m. on January 1 and no later than 5 p.m. on the last Tuesday of April prior to the election.

An independent candidate’s certificate of nomination must be signed by registered voters within the applicable district or political subdivision. Any candidate for office in the state legislature must be a resident of the district for which he or she is a candidate.

All 35 state Senate seats are up for election in 2020, as are all 70 state House seats. South Dakota state senators and state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. South Dakota holds elections for its legislature in even-numbered years.

The primary is scheduled for June 2, 2020, and a primary runoff is scheduled for August 11, 2020. The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2020.

Entering the 2020 election, the South Dakota State Legislature has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. As of April 29, 2020, there are 21 Republican trifectas, 15 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.