Biography
Aaron Matson is the Democratic candidate for South Dakota State Senate District 11 in the November 3, 2026 general election, where he faces incumbent Chris Karr (R).[1][2] Matson is a pastor and former adjunct faculty member who taught political science, and he has run for statewide and legislative office before.[2]
Aaron Matson was born in Watertown, South Dakota.[2] He earned a bachelor's degree from Northern State University in 2002, a graduate degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in 2008 and a Ph.D. from the University of South Dakota in 2017.[2] His career experience includes working as a pastor and as an adjunct faculty member at Bellevue University, where he taught political science courses.[2]
Matson was the Democratic nominee for South Dakota Treasurer in 2018 and lost to Josh Haeder (R), receiving 37.7 percent of the vote.[2] In 2024 he was one of two Democrats on the ballot for the two-seat South Dakota House of Representatives District 11 and was not elected.[2]
- 1.South Dakota State Senate elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Aaron Matson - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
South Dakota Senate District 11
Aaron Matson is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota Senate District 11 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
