SensibleIncumbentSD State House · District 34

Mike Derby

“A tireless advocate for Rapid City in Pierre”

Mike Derby is a lifelong Rapid Citian who grew up attending Meadowbrook, West Junior High, and Stevens High School before earning a BS in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota in 1979. He owned Canyon Lake Resort in west Rapid City and has chaired the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce and served on the Visit Rapid City board. He first served District 34 in the House from 1997 to 2002 under Gov. Janklow, returned in 2021, and currently serves as Lead Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He and his wife Carmen have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Hometown

Rapid City

Party

Republican

Office

SD State House · District 34

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Our Rationale

Why they’re
Sensible

Derby brings rare depth to Pierre — a Rapid City businessman with more than three decades of budget and economic-development experience who now runs the appropriations gavel. As Joint Appropriations co-chair he helped deliver the 2023 sales-tax cut (HB 1137), South Dakota's largest tax reduction to date, and he has maintained a perfect floor-attendance record across four consecutive sessions. His work on the Ellsworth AFB Select Committee and Legislative Executive Committee shows a lawmaker focused on concrete regional priorities rather than headline fights, and his 2026 platform centers on small-business growth, tourism, Ellsworth, and rural healthcare. Endorsed by Speaker Hugh Bartels, Rep. Dusty Johnson, and former Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Derby represents the continuity of serious, substantive leadership West River voters need.

Scored Against the Five Principles

Local First

Lifelong Rapid Citian (Meadowbrook → Stevens High → USD) who built a small business at Canyon Lake Resort and chaired the Rapid City Area Chamber before running for the District that contains his neighborhood.

mikederbyforsdhouse.com · About Mike

Constitutional Backbone

Holds a 100% score on the SD Right to Life Legislative Scorecard and has a perfect floor-attendance record across four consecutive sessions, meaning he shows up and votes the full slate of constitutional questions rather than ducking hard calls.

mikederbyforsdhouse.com · re-election release

Affordability & Taxpayer Respect

As Joint Appropriations co-chair he helped shepherd HB 1137 (2023), the $104M/year sales-tax cut — the largest tax reduction in state history — and in 2025 led a disciplined "tighten our belt" budget balancing the general fund for the 136th consecutive year.

SD Searchlight · March 9, 2023

Vision for South Dakota's Future

Chairs the appropriations process that funds SD's long-term investments, sits on the Ellsworth AFB Select Committee, and sponsors economic-development appropriations (HB 1167, 1168, 1170 in 2025) tying Rapid City's tourism and small-business base to statewide growth.

BillSponsor · Derby bills 2025

Sensible Temperament

Speaker Hugh Bartels publicly credited Derby for running "an objective and fair Appropriations process," and former Gov. Dennis Daugaard endorses him citing two decades of substantive regional advocacy — the public record shows a legislator who builds coalitions rather than picks fights on social media.

mikederbyforsdhouse.com · endorsements

In Their Own Words