Kirk Chaffee

Kirk Chaffee

Republican Party

Prior offices

South Dakota House of Representatives District 29

Predecessor: Larry Rhoden

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Elections and appointments

Last election

June 4, 2024

Personal

Birthplace

South Dakota

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Retired

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Kirk Chaffee (Republican Party) was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing District 29. He assumed office in 2019. He left office on January 14, 2025.

Chaffee (Republican Party) ran for election to the South Dakota State Senate to represent District 29. He lost in the Republican primary on June 4, 2024.

Chaffee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kirk Chaffee was born in South Dakota. He took classes at Black Hills State. Before he retired, Chaffee worked as a real estate appraiser.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at:editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Chaffee was assigned to the following committees:

• House State Affairs Committee
• House Taxation Committee, Chair
• House Taxation Committee

2021-2022

Chaffee was assigned to the following committees:

• House State Affairs Committee
• House Taxation Committee

2019-2020

Chaffee was assigned to the following committees:

• House Local Government Committee
• House Taxation Committee

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2024

See also: South Dakota State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for South Dakota State Senate District 29

John Carley won election in the general election for South Dakota State Senate District 29 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Carley (R)	100.0	8,634

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,634
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 29

John Carley defeated Kirk Chaffee in the Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 29 on June 4, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Carley	59.3	1,985
		Kirk Chaffee	40.7	1,362

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,347
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Chaffee in this election.

2022

See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Kirk Chaffee and Gary L. Cammack defeated Sean Natchke in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kirk Chaffee (R)	44.9	5,996
✔		Gary L. Cammack (R)	38.4	5,132
	Submit photo	Sean Natchke (L)	16.7	2,227

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,355
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Kirk Chaffee and Gary L. Cammack defeated Kathy Rice in the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kirk Chaffee	36.0	2,352
✔		Gary L. Cammack	32.2	2,103
		Kathy Rice	31.8	2,076

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,531
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Sean Natchke advanced from the Libertarian convention for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on April 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Sean Natchke (L)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Dean Wink and incumbent Kirk Chaffee defeated Jade Addison in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dean Wink (R)	46.1	8,167
✔		Kirk Chaffee (R)	36.0	6,381
	Submit photo	Jade Addison (Independent)	17.9	3,174

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,722
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Dean Wink and incumbent Kirk Chaffee defeated incumbent Thomas Brunner and Lincoln Shuck in the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dean Wink	31.4	2,016
✔		Kirk Chaffee	27.3	1,751
		Thomas Brunner	25.8	1,655
	Submit photo	Lincoln Shuck	15.5	991

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,413
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Kirk Chaffee and incumbent Thomas Brunner defeated Jade Addison and Michael McManus in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kirk Chaffee (R)	37.7	5,935
✔		Thomas Brunner (R)	36.3	5,711
	Submit photo	Jade Addison (D)	13.2	2,078
	Submit photo	Michael McManus (D)	12.7	2,004

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,728
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Larry Rhoden (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Jade Addison and Michael McManus advanced from the Democratic primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Jade Addison
✔	Submit photo	Michael McManus

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 (2 seats)

Incumbent Thomas Brunner and incumbent Larry Rhoden advanced from the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 29 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Thomas Brunner
✔		Larry Rhoden

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kirk Chaffee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Chaffee's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am no newcomer to District 29 residents. My family homesteaded here. I’ve spent my entire life working and being an active citizen of our community alongside you. After retiring from successful three-decade career, I continue to dedicate my time to protect our way of life. For the past six years you have elected me to be your legislator in the House of Representatives. Thank you for your support. I am currently running to replace Senate incumbent, Dean Wink, who is retiring. I am asking for your vote.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Property Tax This next session it will be important for you to elect me to work on issues that need to be addressed in our district such as the challenging effect of a market-based tax system on residential property in the Black Hills area.
• Election integrity. We need to continue with the “easy to vote but hard to cheat” strategy whereby we work with the county auditors and find common sense solutions to ensure we continue to have safe reliable elections.
• Property rights. Sometimes over used as a slogan but often easily eroded if not continually being monitored.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Local control given back from the State to the local communities. (local government city county school board)

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Feeding and watering the livestock…….60 years and counting.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Although not required, I found those who had previous experiences were more successful in their legislation. Legislators with varying backgrounds and professions from all walks of life has been the hallmark of the strength of the South Dakota legislature.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

I believe it should be a requirement. Statesmanship and decorum over chaos is the start to building towards respect. A respectful relationship with other members allows you to share differing viewpoints where you can weigh the merits of each .

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Property tax relief.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Kirk Chaffee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Kirk Chaffee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Kirk Chaffee campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	South Dakota State Senate District 29	Lost primary	$16,000	$0
2022	South Dakota House of Representatives District 29	Won general	$22,025	$0
2020	South Dakota House of Representatives District 29	Won general	$16,000	N/A**
2018	South Dakota House of Representatives District 29	Won general	$3,600	N/A**
Grand total			$57,625	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in South Dakota

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of South Dakota scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2024

In 2024, the South Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 9 to March 26.

• Elevate Rapid City

Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community.

• Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.

• SD Citizens For Liberty

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

• South Dakota Right to Life

Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the South Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 10 to March 27. Elevate Rapid City Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community. Family Heritage Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes related to business. SD Citizens For Liberty Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the South Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 11 to March 28. Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota/New Approach South Dakota/South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws Legislators are scored on their votes related to cannabis. Elevate Rapid City Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community. Family Heritage Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes related to business. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. SD Citizens For Liberty Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. South Dakota Multi-Housing Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to housing. South Dakota Right to Life Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the South Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 12 to March 29. Americans for Prosperity - South Dakota Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Elevate Rapid City Legislators are scored on their stances related to the Rapid City business community. Family Heritage Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes related to business. SD Citizens For Liberty Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. South Dakota Right to Life Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the South Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 14 to March 30. SD Citizens For Liberty Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Family Heritage Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. South Dakota Right to Life Legislators are scored on bills related to reproductive health issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].
In 2019, the South Dakota State Legislature was in session from January 8 through March 29. Family Heritage Alliance Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. SD Citizens For Liberty Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

See also

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Candidate

South Dakota State Senate District 29

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the South Dakota State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Jim Mehlhaff

Minority Leader:Liz Larson

Senators

District 1

Michael Rohl (R)

District 2

Steve Kolbeck (R)

District 3

Carl Perry (R)

District 4

Stephanie Sauder (R)

District 5

Glen Vilhauer (R)

District 6

Ernie Otten (R)

District 7

Tim Reed (R)

District 8

Casey Crabtree (R)

District 9

Joy Hohn (R)

District 10

Liz Larson (D)

District 11

Chris Karr (R)

District 12

Arch Beal (R)

District 13

Sue Peterson (R)

District 14

Larry Zikmund (R)

District 15

Jamie Smith (D)

District 16

Kevin Jensen (R)

District 17

Sydney Davis (R)

District 18

Lauren Nelson (R)

District 19

Kyle Schoenfish (R)

District 20

Paul Miskimins (R)

District 21

MyKala Voita (R)

District 22

David Wheeler (R)

District 23

Mark Lapka (R)

District 24

Jim Mehlhaff (R)

District 25

Tom Pischke (R)

District 26

Tamara Grove (R)

District 27

Red Foster (D)

District 28

Sam Marty (R)

District 29

John Carley (R)

District 30

Amber Hulse (R)

District 31

Randy Deibert (R)

District 32

Helene Duhamel (R)

District 33

Curt Voight (R)

District 34

Taffy Howard (R)

District 35

Greg Blanc (R)

Republican Party (32)

Democratic Party (3)