Matthew Michels (born March 9, 1960) is an American politician who served as the 38th

lieutenant governor of South Dakota The lieutenant governor of South Dakota is the second-ranking member of the executive branch of South Dakota state government and also serves as presiding officer of the South Dakota Senate. The lieutenant governor succeeds to the officer of go ...

, from 2011 to 2019.

Early life and education

Michels was born in Pierre, South Dakota. He graduated with a B.S. from the

University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship univ ...

in 1981 and his J.D. from the

University of South Dakota School of Law The University of South Dakota School of Law also known as University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law or USD Law in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, is a professional school of the University of South Dakota and the only law school in ...

in 1985. Michels also worked as a nurse between 1981 and 1985.

Career

He attended Naval Justice School and entered U.S. Navy JAG Corps. He was honorably discharged from the JAG Corps in 1989. He later became general counsel for

Avera Health Avera Health is a regional health system based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States, comprising more than 300 locations in 100 communities throughout South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota. Avera serves a geographical foo ...

. A member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

, he previously served as speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007.

Dennis Daugaard Dennis Martin Daugaard (born June 11, 1953) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 32nd governor of South Dakota from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was the first chief executive of a U.S. state to be the ...

picked him as his running mate in the 2010 gubernatorial election;Dennis Daugaard for Governor
they were reelected in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Electoral history

References

External links

Lieutenant Governor Matt Michels Homepage
, - 1960 births 2012 United States presidential electors 2016 United States presidential electors 21st-century American politicians Lieutenant Governors of South Dakota Living people People from Pierre, South Dakota People from Yankton County, South Dakota South Dakota lawyers Speakers of the South Dakota House of Representatives Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives University of South Dakota School of Law alumni {{SouthDakota-politician-stub