John Hughes
South Dakota State Representative, District 13 since 2024. Lost re-election in 2026; leaves office in January 2027.
- In office
- 1 yr
- Since 2024
- Bills became law
- 29
- 53 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.8%
- Chamber median 0.8%
- With party
- 94%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- −3.6
- Lost 2026
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Judiciary · vice chair
- Taxation · vice chair
- Code Commission
- Emergency Medical Services Funding Task Force
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Education · Became law Mar 2026
Abortion · Became law Mar 2026
Courts and Judiciary · Became law Mar 2026
Administrative Procedure · Became law Mar 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Hughes sits in the South Dakota House of Representatives
Hughes is closer to the center than 38% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Terri Jorgenson, John Shubeck, Les Heinemann
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:01 PM ET
With Hughes’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans94%
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: Hughes’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Hughes | 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. | Yes | 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… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 42–25 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Hughes 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 Legislative District 13 | Lost | D+3.6 | R+10.7 | −14.3 |
| 2024 | South Dakota House of Representatives, District 13 | Won | R+3.1 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: South Dakota Secretary of State (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $57.1K
- Spent
- $26K
- Cash
- $37K
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State filings through Oct 20, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 2:15 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| John Hughes for District 13 State | Active |
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State filings through Oct 20, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 2:15 AM ET
Seats Hughes has held
- South Dakota House of Representatives, District 13 · since 2024
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Hughes has run against
- Jack R. Kolbeck (R) · 2026 general, lost
- Tony Venhuizen (R) · 2024 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: South Dakota Secretary of State (unofficial)
How we know Hughes
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/123a6b73-d0a1-4263-96fd-a65373159918
- Wikidata Q135212880
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET