Biography
Bret Swanson is the Democratic candidate for the South Dakota House of Representatives District 30 (2 seats) in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing incumbent Republicans Tim Goodwin and Trish Ladner.[1][2] An educator, he previously ran for the state House in 2022 and the state Senate in 2024.[2]
Bret Swanson was born in Denver, Colorado, and earned a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in 1983 and a graduate degree from the University of South Dakota in 2003.[2] His career experience includes working as an educator.[2]
Swanson ran for District 30 of the South Dakota House in 2022, losing the general election to incumbent Trish Ladner and Dennis Krull.[2] In 2024 he ran for South Dakota State Senate District 30 and lost the general election to Amber Hulse.[2]
In a 2022 Ballotpedia survey, Swanson said he had taught in elementary and middle schools and had worked in colleges and universities for twenty years, served five years on a local school board, grew up in Denver, and moved to Rapid City in 1991 for a teaching position.[3] He listed his campaign messages as worker rights, including raising the minimum wage to $20 an hour, tax equity, and transparency, and said teachers deserve autonomy in the classroom.[3]
- 1.South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Bret Swanson · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Bret Swanson - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
South Dakota House District 30
Bret Swanson is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota House District 30 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
