Terrence Davis

Terrence Davis is the Democratic nominee for South Dakota secretary of state. A former state trooper in Tennessee and South Dakota who is pursuing a doctorate in law and policy, he was endorsed by Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson.[1][2] He says he trusts the state's tested, audited vote-counting machines and wants to strengthen ties with county auditors, add a fraud-investigation division and let 16-year-olds pre-register.[1][2]

Davis was born in Peoria, Illinois, and his campaign says he experienced homelessness as a child and that a foster mother helped him find a path forward.[1] He went to college as a non-traditional student and earned a degree in criminal justice, then a master's degree in public policy, and is now working on a doctorate in law and policy.[1][2]

Davis served as a state trooper in Tennessee, working the Memphis District and the Executive Protection Unit that guards the governor and visiting officials.[1] His family moved to South Dakota in 2021, and he served as a trooper in the Sioux Falls district.[1] Most recently he worked at East River Legal Services, which helps South Dakotans get free civil legal help.[1][2] He lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, a public school teacher, and their son.[1]

Johnson, a Republican who has worked in the Secretary of State's office for more than a decade, endorsed Davis on September 19, 2026, saying that although he is a Democrat, South Dakota deserves a secretary of state who will "strengthen confidence through performance rather than provocation."[1] Davis's priorities include keeping the state's audited ballot counters with post-election audits in every county, letting 16-year-olds pre-register when they get a driver's license, creating an investigative division for fraud, and updating the office's systems for businesses and nonprofits.[1][2]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.