Mike Rounds

Mike Rounds
31st Governor of South Dakota
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2003
Lieutenant	Dennis Daugaard
Preceded by	William J. Janklow
Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 24th district
In office 1991-2000
Preceded by	Jacqueline Kennedy
Succeeded by	Patricia de Hueck
8th Majority Leader of the South Dakota Senate
In office 1995-2000
Preceded by	Roger D. McKellips
Succeeded by	Barbara Everist
Personal details
Born	(1954-10-24) October 24, 1954 Huron, South Dakota
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Jean Rounds
Profession	Insurance executive, Politician

Marion Michael "Mike" Rounds (born October 24, 1954) is an American politician. Rounds has served as Governor of South Dakota since January 7, 2003, having been elected on November 5, 2002 and re-elected on November 7, 2006.

Personal

Rounds, the oldest of eleven children, was born in Huron, South Dakota and has lived in Pierre, the state capital, since he was three. Rounds was named for an uncle, Marion Rounds, who was killed in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War; however, he has from a young age been known as "Mike."

Several members of the Rounds family have been involved in state government. His father, Don Rounds, worked at various times as state director of highway safety, a staffer for Rural Electrification Administration, and executive director of the South Dakota Petroleum Council. Rounds' brother, Tim Rounds, is a member of the South Dakota State Legislature representing District 24, which includes Pierre.

Rounds attended South Dakota State University in Brookings, where he earned his B.S. in political science. While at SDSU, Rounds met his wife, Jean, formerly of Lake Preston, South Dakota. They were married in 1978 and have four children.

Rounds is a partner in Fischer Rounds & Associates, an insurance and real estate firm with offices in Pierre, Rapid City, Mitchell, and Brandon. He placed his ownership interest into a blind trust upon being elected governor. Rounds is a member of Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church of Pierre. He is also a member of numerous service clubs and community organizations including Elks, Exchange Club, Knights of Columbus, and Ducks Unlimited.

Political

State Senator

Rounds represented District 24, which includes Pierre and the surrounding area in the South Dakota State Legislature from 1991 to 2001, serving from 1995 as majority leader. In 1990, Rounds won 52.5% of the vote in a successful challenge of incumbent state senator Jacqueline Kelley, a Pierre Democrat. He was reelected in 1992 with 59.9%, in 1994 with 77.3%, in 1996 with 66.0%, and in 1998 with 74.9%. Rounds was barred from seeking reelection in 2000 by legislative term limits, which South Dakota voters had passed in 1994.

In 1995, Rounds was selected by his peers to be Senate Majority Leader. During his time as majority leader, Rounds worked closely with Governor Bill Janklow and was respected for his effective leadership of the Senate. Rounds had an important role in passing several of Janklow's initiatives, including property tax reduction, reform of the school aid funding formula, the "wiring" of South Dakota schools, and the sale of the state cement plant.

2002 Gubernatorial Election

Rounds' victory in the 2002 Republican Gubernatorial Primary was one of South Dakota's greatest political upsets. Until late in 2001, then-Congressman John Thune was the front-runner for the nomination. When Thune passed on the race to challenge Senator Tim Johnson, state Attorney General Mark Barnett and former Lt. Governor Steve Kirby quickly became candidates. Rounds declared his candidacy late, in December 2001, and was outraised and outspent ten-to-one by each of his opponents. However, the contest between Kirby and Barnett soon became very negative and "dirty." As the two front-runners concentrated on each other, Rounds insisted on running a positive campaign and was not attacked by his opponents. Rounds' positive image and extensive knowledge of state government won him many supporters who were alienated by the front-runners. On the day of the primary election, Rounds won a stunning victory, winning 44.3% to Barnett's 29.5% and Kirby's 26.1%.

After winning the Republican nomination, Rounds selected state senator Dennis Daugaard of Dell Rapids to be his running mate. Their Democratic opponents were University of South Dakota President Jim Abbott of Vermillion and his running mate, former state representative Mike Wilson of Rapid City. During the campaign, Abbott, who had been considered the Democratic Party's strongest nominee in years, was hampered by his strategic inability to attack Rounds; any effort to "go negative" would have only reinforced Rounds' positive campaign.

Rounds was elected governor on November 5, 2002. The results were as follows:

• Republicans: Mike Rounds and Dennis Daugaard — 56.8%
• Democrats: Jim Abbott and Mike Wilson — 41.9%
• Independent: Jim Carlson and Ron Bosch — 0.7%
• Libertarians: Nathan Barton and Eric Risty — 0.6%

Rounds' election signaled several "firsts" for South Dakota. Rounds is the first resident of Pierre, the capital city, to be elected Governor. He is also the first alumnus of South Dakota State University, the state's largest university, to serve as governor, as well as the first baby boomer.

2006 Election

Rounds enjoyed high popularity throughout most of his first term. After signing a controversial bill to ban most abortions in early 2006, Rounds approval rating dropped significantly, but recovered substantially by summer. Rounds was therefore a heavy favorite for reelection.

In 2004, rumors circulated that television personality and former South Dakotan Pat O'Brien was considering a return to his home state to challenge Rounds; however, revelations of personal problems ended speculation about an O'Brien candidacy in 2006. Former state senator Ron Volesky of Huron, a Democrat, had announced his intention to oppose Rounds, but abandoned his bid on February 22, 2006, citing an inability to raise funds.

Two Democratic candidates emerged to challenge Rounds: Jack Billion, a retired surgeon and former state legislator from Sioux Falls, and Dennis Wiese, the former president of the South Dakota Farmers Union. Billion easily defeated Wiese for the nomination, and selected Rapid City school board member Eric Abrahamson as his running mate.

Rounds was reelected on November 7, 2006. The results were as follows:

• Republicans: Mike Rounds and Dennis Daugaard — 61.7%
• Democrats: Jack Billion and Eric Abrahamson — 36.1%
• Constitution : Steve Willis and Larry Johnsen — 1.2%
• Libertarians: Tom Gerber and Betty Rose Ryan — 1.0%

Rounds Administration

Abortion ban

Main article: Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act

On February 22, 2006, the state legislature of South Dakota passed an act banning all medical abortions except those necessary to save the mother's life (see double effect). Rounds signed the act on March 6, and the ban was to have taken effect on July 1, 2006, but never did because of a court challenge. A referendum for a potential repeal of H.B. 1215 was placed on the ballot for the November 2006 statewide election due to a successful petition. On May 30, over 38,000 signatures were filed, more than twice the 17,000 required to qualify. The law was ultimately repealed by voters on November 7, 2006.

According to a Survey USA poll released in January 2006, Rounds had an approval rating of 73% and a "net" approval rating of +52%, which placed him among the top five governors in the United States in terms of approval rating. Following the abortion ban, again according to a SurveyUSA poll, Rounds' approval rating dropped 14% to 58%; his approval rebounded to 70% after the ban was repealed.

Distilleries legislation

During the 2006 legislative session, Governor Rounds signed House Bill 1233, entitled “An Act to provide for the establishment and operation of artisan distillers and to revise certain provisions concerning farm wineries.” This bill, proposed by the Rounds’ brother, Jamison, changed state law to allow for operation of small-scale (50,000 gallons/year/facility) liquor distilleries in the state. At the time, Jamison Rounds testified before the legislature and explained that he was advocating the change so that he could open a distillery in the state. The bill passed the state house 60-5 and the state senate 33-2; among those voting in favor was another Rounds brother, Representative Tim Rounds. Shortly after the law went into effect, Jamison Rounds and another brother, Tom, announced that they had purchased a building outside of Pierre with the intention of opening a distillery.

The Argus Leader, the largest newspaper in South Dakota, ran an opinion piece regarding the legislature’s overwhelming passage of the distillery bill. The article, entitled “Ethically confused — again: For lawmakers, high moral ground doesn't include the Rounds' booze business,” noted the irony that the state legislature would allow operation of distilleries in the same session that it passed legislation banning abortion. Sen. Clarence Kooistra (R), one of the few state legislators to vote against the bill was quoted as saying, "I just didn't think we should be expanding liquor sales. I felt we were sending the wrong message."

Death penalty

Under Rounds' administration South Dakota has preformed the first execution in this state since 1947, when volunteer Elijah Page was put to death by lethal injection.

Political Future

Beyond 2006

Speculation persists about the possibility that, in 2008, Rounds may seek the United States Senate seat held currently by Tim Johnson, a Democrat who has held the seat since 1997. Although Rounds has not definitively ruled out a 2008 bid for U.S. Senate, he has made several statements indicating that he is inclined against making the race.

After Rounds attracted national attention by signing into law South Dakota's ban on abortion, there was speculation that Rounds could mount a longshot bid for the 2008 Republican nomination for President of the United States. Although he is highly sought after and recruited by fellow Republicans to run for President, Rounds has never publicly expressed any interest in pursuing the presidency. (see Potential 2008 Republican presidential candidates.)

Electoral History

South Dakota Gubernatorial Election 2002

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike Rounds	189,899	56.8
	Democratic	Jim Abbott	140,260	41.9

South Dakota Gubernatorial Election 2006

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Mike Rounds (Incumbent)	207,000	61.7	+4.9
	Democratic	Jack Billion	121,242	36.1

External links

• South Dakota Office of the Governor Mike Rounds — official state site
• Mike Rounds for Governor — official campaign site
• National Governors Association — South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds — biography
• Follow the Money — Mike Rounds — 2006 campaign contributions
• On the Issues — Mike Rounds — issue positions and quotes
• Project Vote Smart — Governor M. Michael 'Mike' Rounds (SD) — profile
• South Dakota Secretary of State Elections Information — for South Dakota election results since 1972
• 2010 Initiative — official homepage of Governor Rounds' economic development plan for South Dakota
• Brainy Quote — Mike Rounds — quotations
• Mike Rounds legislative service — from the South Dakota Legislative Research Council.

Organizations

• South Dakota Republican Party
• National Governors Association
• Republican Governors Association
• Western Governors Association
• Midwestern Governors Association

Articles

• South Dakota Politics — reporting on South Dakota Politics by the Argus Leader
• Latest news involving Mike Rounds — courtesy of Google News
• S.D. Abortion Bill Takes Aim at 'Roe'
• South Dakota governor signs abortion ban
• US state tightens abortion laws

Web Media

• Creepy Sleepy Governor Rounds interviewed by the Creepy Sleepy Show podcast, May 2006

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