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The recent hiring of Democratic former congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin as president of Augustana University presumably takes her out of the running for any statewide political office in the near future. That is bad news for South Dakota Democrats, who have not had a winning candidate in a statewide race since 2008. This list shows the last time a Democrat won each of South Dakotas statewide offices, beginning with the most recent Democratic victory.

1. Class 2 U.S. senator: Tim Johnson, 2008.

2. (tie) U.S. representative: Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, 2006; public utilities commissioner: Steve Kolbeck, 2006.

3. School and public lands commissioner: Bryce Healy, 2002.

4. (tie) Class 3 U.S. senator: Tom Daschle, 1998; treasurer: Richard Dick Butler, 1998 (photo not available).

5. (tie) Governor: Richard Dick Kneip, 1974; secretary of state: Lorna Herseth (grandmother of Stephanie Herseth Sandlin), 1974 (photo not available).

6. Attorney general: Kermit Sande, 1972 (photo not available).

7. Auditor: Harriet Horning, 1958 (photo not available).

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Longest statewide office droughts for South Dakota Democrats - Rapid City Journal