Heather Baxter
South Dakota State Representative, District 34 since 2024. Did not run for re-election in 2026; leaves office in January 2027. Ran in 1 election in 2024, winning 1. Won the 2026 race for South Dakota Secretary of State.
- In office
- 1 yr
- Since 2024
- Bills became law
- 86
- 256 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.0%
- Chamber median 0.8%
- With party
- 95%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +22.3
- Won 2026
- Elections
- 2
- 2024–2026
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 11:01 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Developmental Disability Service Delivery
- Education
- Health and Human Services
- Military and Veterans Affairs
- State-Tribal Relations
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Civil Procedure · Became law Mar 2026
Crimes · Became law Mar 2026
Property Tax · Became law Mar 2026
Election Verification · Became law Mar 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Baxter sits in the South Dakota House of Representatives
Baxter is closer to the center than 12% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Jana Hunt, Travis Ismay, Kathy Rice
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:01 PM ET
With Baxter’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans95%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the South Dakota House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Baxter’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Baxter | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2026 | HB 1138: require the licensure of non-medical home care agencies, and to provide a penalty therefor. | No | Yes | Yes | Failed 36–27 |
| Mar 30, 2026 | HB 1077: consider a cultivated-protein food product to be adulterated food. | Yes | Yes | No | Failed 32–32 |
| Mar 9, 2026 | SB 245: create the homeowner property tax reduction fund, and to transfer moneys to the homeowner… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 42–27 |
| Mar 5, 2026 | SB 159: revise requirements pertaining to the minimum age for marriage. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Passed 40–27 |
| Mar 5, 2026 | SB 179: permit a court to commit a juvenile adjudicated delinquent for certain weapons offenses to… | No | Yes | No | Passed 42–25 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Baxter was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | South Dakota Secretary of State | Won | R+22.3 | R+29.9 | −7.6 |
| 2024 | South Dakota House of Representatives, District 34 | Won | D+5.4 | R+16.5 | −21.9 |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: South Dakota Secretary of State (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Seats Baxter has held
- South Dakota House of Representatives, District 34 · since 2024
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Baxter has run against
- Terrence Davis (D) · 2026 election, won
- Mike Derby (R) · 2024 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: South Dakota Secretary of State (unofficial)
How we know Baxter
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/229c5337-951c-41d2-9e76-dc74878bcf89
- Wikidata Q134584596
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 11:01 PM ET