Katherine Washnok

Katherine Washnok is the Republican candidate for South Dakota State Senate District 3 in the November 3, 2026 general election, in which no other candidate is listed.[1][2] She defeated incumbent Carl Perry (R) in the June 2 Republican primary, 63.5 percent to 36.5 percent, and is a small business owner from Aberdeen.[2][3]

Katherine Washnok was born in Winner, South Dakota, and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota in 2012.[2] Her career experience includes working as a small business owner and as a legislative page and intern in the United States Senate.[2] In a 2024 Ballotpedia survey, she said that she and her husband own and operate several small businesses in motorcycle and automotive custom design and manufacturing, and that they operate family farms at Verdon.[3]

Washnok has been involved in Republican organizations, and in the 2024 survey she said she had served as state chairman of the South Dakota Teenage Republicans and as chairman of the Brown County Republicans.[2][3] She ran for the same Senate seat in 2024 and lost the Republican primary to Carl Perry, receiving 47.8 percent of the vote.[2] In the 2024 survey, she described herself as a commonsense conservative and listed agriculture, a vibrant economy, quality education and local control among her priorities.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.