State supreme courts / South Dakota
South Dakota Supreme Court
5 justices, chosen by retention after appointment.
- Chosen by
- Retention after appointment
- Justices
- 5
- Term
- 8 years
- Retirement age
- 70
- Next election
- Not confirmed
Court facts checked November 4, 2026; election dates checked November 4, 2026.
Justices
| Justice | Role |
|---|---|
| Steven R. Jensen | Chief justice |
| Mark E. Salter | Associate justice |
| Patricia J. DeVaney | Associate justice |
| Scott P. Myren | Associate justice |
| Robert Gusinsky | Associate justice |
Court facts checked November 4, 2026.
Results 2016-2024
2024
SUPREME COURT - RETENTION - SCOTT P. MYREN
| Answer | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 279,216 | 79.3% |
| No | 72,908 | 20.7% |
2022
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RETENTION : SHALL JUSTICE PATRICIA J. DEVANEY REPRESENTING THE THIRD SUPREME COURT DISTRICT, WHOSE TERM EXPIRES JANUARY 1, 2023, BE RETAINED IN OFFICE?
| Answer | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 230,126 | 80.1% |
| No | 57,052 | 19.9% |
2020
RETENTION FIRST SUPREME COURT DISTRICT: STEVEN JENSEN
| Answer | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 296,824 | 81.4% |
| No | 67,717 | 18.6% |
No contests in the data for 2018, 2016.
November general elections only.
MEDSL precinct returns 2016-2024: a fixed historic release; the file records no release date.
South Dakota overview: statewide officials, legislature and elections
Sources
- S.D. Const. art. V, s. 7
- SDCL 16-1-2
- SDCL 16-1-4.1
- South Dakota Unified Judicial System, Justices
- South Dakota Supreme Court website
- MIT Election Data and Science Lab, precinct returns 2018-2024. CC0 1.0. GitHub
- MIT Election Data and Science Lab, precinct returns 2016. MIT License. GitHub