State Senator Billie Sutton of Burke entered the governor’s race on May 31.
The Democratic senator made the announcement at his family’s ranch.
The 33-year-old said he was up for the challenge. “We rise to the occasion together. No matter what the obstacles ahead, no matter what the challenges we can work together to make South Dakota everything it can be,” he said.
Sutton shared with family and friends and fellow Democratic lawmakers the story of his rodeo accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
The investment consultant and former rodeo rider has served as a member of the state Senate since 2011 representing District 21. He would hit his term limit in the senate in 2018.
Sutton says he has the ability to work across the aisle politically and to relate to east and west river South Dakotans.
Sutton would be the first Democrat to be elected governor since former Gov. Richard Kneip. Kneip won the seat in 1974.
Sutton is the first Democrat to announce his candidacy in the gubernatorial race.
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