The 1974 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1974, to elect a Governor of South Dakota. This election was the first in South Dakota to elect the governor for a four-year term, after it was allowed by a constitutional amendment passed in 1972.[1]Democratic nominee and Governor Richard F. Kneip was re-elected, defeating Republican nominee John E. Olson. As of 2022, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of South Dakota and this marks the beginning of the longest winning streak for Republicans of gubernatorial offices in the United States.