Billie_Sutton

Billie Sutton

Billie Sutton

American politician


Billie Harmon Sutton (born March 16, 1984) is an American former professional bronc rider and politician. He was a member of the South Dakota Senate from 2011 to 2019, served as Minority Leader,[1] and was the 2018 Democratic nominee for Governor of South Dakota, which he narrowly lost to Republican nominee Kristi Noem in the general election.

Quick Facts Minority Leader of the South Dakota Senate, Preceded by ...

Early life, education, and rodeo accident

A fifth-generation South Dakotan, Sutton grew up in Burke, South Dakota, on his family ranch, where his interest in rodeo began. Sutton went to college at the University of Wyoming and became a successful rider as the university's all-time leader in rodeo points. He graduated in May 2008 with a degree in finance.[2]

Sutton competed professionally on the PRCA circuit, reaching a top 30 worldwide ranking.[3] In 2007, Sutton was paralyzed from the waist down when his horse flipped upside down in the chute prior to a bronc ride at a rodeo in Minot, North Dakota.[4] He was 23 years old at the time of the accident.

After the accident and completion of his college degree, Sutton returned to Burke to work as an investment consultant at a bank.[5]

Political career

In 2010, Sutton was elected to the South Dakota Senate, representing District 21. He served as Senate Assistant Minority Leader from 2013 to 2015. He was succeeded in this position by Troy Heinert from District 26. In 2015, Sutton became the South Dakota Senate's Minority Leader.[6]

In May 2017, Sutton announced his candidacy for Governor of South Dakota in 2018 at his family ranch in Burke, SD.[7] Michelle Lavallee of Sioux Falls, a former Republican, was the lieutenant governor candidate on Sutton's ticket.[8] Sutton lost in the 2018 South Dakota gubernatorial election, 51.0 to 47.6 percent, in the closest gubernatorial election in South Dakota since 1986.[9]

Endorsements

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader and Rapid City Journal endorsed Sutton for South Dakota Governor in 2018.[10][11] Sutton was also endorsed by a number of prominent Republicans, including former U.S. Senator Larry Pressler, former State Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson, former state treasurer Dave Volk, former mayor of Sioux Falls Rick Knobe, and current Lincoln County Commissioner Jim Schmidt, among others.[12][13][14]

Political views

Sutton is a "pro-Second Amendment" moderate Democrat with an anti-corruption focus.[15][16]

Personal life

While the accident ended Sutton's rodeo career, it did not quell his love of horse riding, an activity he still enjoys alongside his wife Kelsea.[17] Sutton and his wife have three sons.[18] A daughter, Lenore, was born July 8, 2020, but died a week later.[19] In August 2022, a community splash pad in Burke named Lenny's Lily Pad was opened to honor their daughter.[20]

Electoral history

More information Year, Office ...

References

  1. "South Dakota Legislature".
  2. "Sutton, upbeat, returns to UW classes". The Billings Gazette. Associated Press. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  3. "Meet Billie". Sutton for South Dakota Governor. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  4. Montgomery, David (14 July 2013). "Cowboy's dreams standing tall". Argus Leader. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  5. "2016 Session - Senator Billie H. Sutton". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
  6. "Democrats, Sutton enter South Dakota governor race". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  7. "Meet Michelle Lavallee". Billie Sutton for South Dakota Governor. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  8. Ellis, Jonathan. "Yes, South Dakota has had close governor races, but it's been awhile". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  9. Mearhoff, Sarah (October 25, 2018). "SD bombshell: Poll shows governor's race dead heat in deep red state". The Globe. The Globe. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  10. "Sutton Picks Up Republican Endorsements". KDLT. KDLT. October 25, 2018. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  11. Mercer, Bob (October 30, 2018). "Election Analysis: Democrats Seeking Republican Votes". KELO. Nexstar Media Group.
  12. Nord, James (August 20, 2018). "Cowboy turned lawmaker hopes to be South Dakota governor". Associated Press. Retrieved 2018-08-20.
  13. "A South Dakota Election Takes an Unusual Shift Toward Democrats". Bloomberg. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  14. Healy, Jack (2018-10-21). "Democrats Lost Rural America. This Former Rodeo Star Thinks He Can Win It Back". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  15. "'I think this project is about love': New splash pad opens in Burke". KELOLAND.com. 2022-08-07. Retrieved 2022-11-27.
  16. "South Dakota Governor Election Results". New York Times. 2019-01-28. Archived from the original on 2018-11-07.
  17. "2016 Election Candidate List". Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
More information South Dakota Senate, Party political offices ...

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Billie_Sutton, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.