Age in the 2025 South Dakota State Legislature
The State of South Dakota held its elections for a new South Dakota House of Representatives and South Dakota State Senate on November 4th, 2024. In January 2025, the currently active 2025 legislative session of the South Dakota House of Representatives began. Among the members elected, 8 were aged 35 or younger on the day of the 2024 election. Below is a map of these representatives within both chambers of the South Dakota Legislature.
South Dakota Demographic Background in the 2024 Election
Preliminary estimates from CIRCLE at Tufts University indicate that 42% of young people aged 18–29 voted in the 2024 election, with turnout surpassing 50% in key battleground states. Nearly 50 million young citizens were eligible to vote nationwide, including over 8 million who turned 18 since the 2022 midterms.
According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers in 2020 to become the largest generation in the U.S., making up 31% of the population, followed closely by Boomers at 30.9%. Generation X accounts for 28%, while the Silent Generation makes up just 9.9%.
The South Dakota House of Representatives 2025 Legislative Session
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected members of the South Dakota House of Representatives
- The average age among South Dakota House members was 53.60 years
- The youngest Representative, Logan Manhart, was born in 1998
- The oldest Representative, Jim Halverson, was born in 1948
- 8 Representatives are Young Elected Leaders age 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Generational Breakdown
Within the South Dakota House of Representatives, most representatives come from the Millennial, Generation X, or the Baby Boomer generations. Scroll below to view the generations represented in the South Dakota House of Representatives.
Partisanship in the South Dakota House of Representatives
The chart below provides a further breakdown of the current partisan composition of the 2025 South Dakota House of Representatives. Each dot represents a single member, colored by both party affiliation and whether the legislator qualifies as a Young Elected Leader (YEL)—defined as age 35 or younger at the time of the election. This format provides a visual snapshot of generational and partisan distribution within the chamber, highlighting how younger legislators are positioned across party lines.
Partisan differences in the South Dakota House extend beyond ideology to include notable generational contrasts. As shown in the visual below, Republican members have an average age of 55.12, while Democrats have a younger average age of 37.80. These disparities may reflect broader patterns in political recruitment, generational turnover, and the types of candidates emerging in recent election cycles. 
Young Elected Representatives – South Dakota House of Representatives
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in South Dakota, 8 members aged 35 or under were elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives. Below are all six members, ordered from youngest to oldest, along with information about their local districts and party affiliations.
Young Elected Representatives — South Dakota House of Representatives (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Logan Manhart (R) | District 1 — Aberdeen, SD | 1998 (Age 26) | 2024 |
 |
Jana Hunt (R) | District 28A — Dupree, SD | 1997 (Age 27) | 2024 |
 |
Kaley Nolz (R) | District 20 — Mitchell, SD | 1997 (Age 27) | 2024 |
 |
Dylan C. Jordan (R) | District 4 — Clear Lake, SD | 1994 (Age 30) | 2024 |
 |
Erik Muckey (D) | District 15 — Sioux Falls, SD | 1992 (Age 32) | 2024 |
 |
Bethany Soye (R) | District 9 — Sioux Falls, SD | 1991 (Age 33) | 2020 |
 |
Kadyn Wittman (D) | District 15 — Sioux Falls, SD | 1991 (Age 33) | 2022 |
 |
Taylor Rae Rehfeldt (R) | District 14 — Sioux Falls, SD | 1989 (Age 35) | 2020 |
Photos Courtesy of the South Dakota House member roster
Gender in the South Dakota House of Representatives
The South Dakota House of Representatives reflects a range of age and gender dynamics that help shape the composition of the state’s legislative body. In South Dakota, men make up a larger share of the chamber than women. Across all members, 61.43% are men, while women make up 38.57%. For female representatives, the average age at the time of the election was 50; for men, it was 55.82. Of the 8 Young Elected Leaders, 5 are female, 3 male.
When examining both gender and party affiliation, additional age differences emerge within the South Dakota House of Representatives. Republican men and women have a higher average age when compared to Democrats. These patterns show that age representation in the South Dakota House of Representatives varies by both gender and partisan alignment, highlighting differing pathways to political office across demographic groups.
Race and Ethnicity in the South Dakota House of Representatives
The racial and ethnic composition of the South Dakota House of Representatives varies across generations. In 2024, younger cohorts exhibit greater diversity, although the chamber as a whole remains predominantly White. The table below shows the distribution of each generation.
Race and Ethnicity in the South Dakota House of Representatives
| Ethnicity | Millennial Generation 1981–1996 |
Generation X 1965–1980 |
Boomer Generation 1946–1964 |
Silent Generation 1928–1945 |
Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black / African American | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (5%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.47%) |
| Indian / Native American | 0 (0%) | 1 (5.56%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.47%) |
| White / Caucasian | 3 (100%) | 17 (94.44%) | 19 (95%) | 27 (100%) | 66 (97.06%) |
| Total | 3 (4.41%) | 18 (26.47%) | 20 (29.41%) | 27 (39.71%) | *68 (100%) |
The full South Dakota House of Representatives comprises 70 seats. *Missing Ages for two members.
The South Dakota Senate
Below is information covering age dynamics in the recently elected South Dakota Senate
- The average age of South Dakota State Senate members is 55.89 years
- The youngest Senator is Amber Hulse, born in 1998
- The oldest Senator is Larry P. Zikmund, born in 1946
- 3 members of the South Dakota State Senate are Young Elected Leaders, aged 35 or younger as of Election Day 2024
Young Elected Senators in the South Dakota State Senate
Following the 2024 State Legislative Elections in South Dakota, six members aged 35 or under were elected to (and currently serve in) the South Dakota State Senate.
Young Elected Senators — South Dakota Senate (Age ≤ 35)
| Name | District | Birth Year (Age) | First Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Amber Hulse (R) | District 30 — Spearfish, SD | 1998 (Age 26) | 2024 |
 |
Mykala Voita (R) | District 21 — Bonesteel, SD | 1998 (Age 26) | 2024 |
 |
Michael H. Rohl (R) | District 1 — Aberdeen, SD | 1990 (Age 34) | 2020 |
Photos courtesy of the South Dakota Senate Member Roster.
Partisanship in the South Dakota State Senate
In the South Dakota State Senate, 32 senators belong to the Republican Party, and 3 senators are Democrats. The mean age of Democratic state senators after the 2024 election was 51.15, while the mean age of Republican state senators was 56.34. Each generation has a different partisan makeup; overall, the South Dakota State Senate is overwhelmingly composed of Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. Below is the breakdown of party composition by generation in the South Dakota State Senate.
Gender in the South Dakota Senate
The generational makeup of the South Dakota Senate reveals notable gender dynamics. Overall, men are overrepresented across all age groups, especially among older generations. These patterns indicate that gender representation varies across generations, with women being represented in every generational cohort.
Race and Ethnicity in the South Dakota Senate
The racial and ethnic composition of the South Dakota Senate shows generational variation. The table below presents the distribution by generation.
Racial Composition — South Dakota Senate
| Race / Ethnicity | Generation Z | Millennial Generation | Generation X | Boomer Generation | Full Chamber |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian / Native American | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (7.14%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.86%) |
| Indian / Native American | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (7.14%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (2.86%) |
| White / Caucasian | 2 (100%) | 5 (100%) | 12 (85.71%) | 14 (100%) | 33 (94.29%) |
| Total | 2 (5.71%) | 5 (14.29%) | 14 (40%) | 14 (40%) | 35 (100%) |
The full South Dakota State Senate comprises 35 seats.
Notes
The Young Elected Leaders Project applies the generational categorization of the Pew Research Center:
- Silent Generation: 1928 – 1945
- Baby Boomer Generation: 1946 – 1964
- Generation X: 1965 – 1980
- Millennial Generation: 1981 – 1996
- Generation Z: 1997 – 2012
This analysis is based on data from the most recent state legislative election in South Dakota which took place on November 5th 2024.
Citation Guideline
In referencing the Young Elected Leaders Project in publication, please use the following language: “The Young Elected Leaders Project is housed at the Center for Youth Political Participation at The Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University – New Brunswick.”
Bibliographic Citation For this document
Author: Young Elected Leaders Project
Corresponding Author: George D. Quinn
Year: 2024
Title: Age in the 2025 South Dakota State Legislature