Mike Rounds was born in Huron, South Dakota in 1954. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from South Dakota State University in 1977 and worked as an insurance executive. He served in the South Dakota Senate from 1991 to 2000, serving as minority whip from 1993 to 1994 and majority leader from 1995 to 2000, and as Governor of South Dakota from 2003 to 2011. Rounds was sworn into the U.S. Senate in 2015 and was reelected in 2020, winning both races by 20 percentage points.
Rounds was born October 24, 1954. He was raised in Pierre, South Dakota and attended South Dakota State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree. He was elected to the South Dakota Senate in 1990, representing the 24th district until 2001. He ran for governor of South Dakota in 2002 and after an upset victory in the Republican primary, won the general election. He was reelected in 2006. In 2014, Rounds was elected to the United States Senate, succeeding retiring Democrat Tim Johnson. He was reelected in 2020.