South Dakota's 1st congressional district

South Dakota's 1st congressional district is now obsolete. It existed from 1913 to 1983.

When South Dakota was admitted into the Union in 1889, it was allocated two congressional seats, both of which were elected statewide at-large. This continued until South Dakota received a third congressional seat after the 1910 Census, and individual districts were established.

From 1913 until 1933, the newly created 1st District covered 21 counties in southeastern South Dakota, including the state's largest city Sioux Falls.^[1] When South Dakota's 3rd congressional district was eliminated after the 1930 Census, the 1st District was expanded to include all of the counties in South Dakota east of the Missouri River.^[2] Population changes eventually reduced the district size until it again covered just 21 counties in the eastern part of the state. During the 97th Congress, it included the cities of Aberdeen, Brookings, Sioux Falls, Watertown, Vermillion, and Yankton.^[3]

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Notes
District created		March 4, 1913
Charles H. Dillon	Republican	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919	Yankton	Did not run for reelection in 1918
Charles A. Christopherson	Republican	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1933	Sioux Falls	Unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1932
Fred H. Hildebrandt	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939	Watertown	Unsuccessful candidate for United States Senator in 1938
Karl Earl Mundt	Republican	January 3, 1939 – December 30, 1948	Madison	Appointed United States Senator
Vacant		December 30, 1948 – January 3, 1949
Harold Lovre	Republican	January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1957	Hayti	Unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1956
George McGovern	Democratic	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1961	Mitchell	Unsuccessful candidate for United States Senator in 1960
Ben Reifel	Republican	January 3, 1961 - January 3, 1971	Aberdeen	Did not run for reelection in 1970
Frank E. Denholm	Democratic	January 3, 1971 - January 3, 1975	Brookings	Defeated for reelection in 1974
Larry Pressler	Republican	January 3, 1975 - January 3, 1979	Humboldt	Elected United States Senator in 1978
Tom Daschle	Democratic	January 3, 1979 - January 3, 1983	Aberdeen	Redistricted to the At-large district in 1982
District eliminated		January 3, 1983

References

1. Official Congressional Directory, 63rd Congress (1913) through 72nd Congress (1931)
2. Official Congressional Directory, 73rd Congress (1933)
3. Official Congressional Directory, 9th Congress (1981)

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present