Mike Rounds

RepublicanU.S. Senator, SD

Age	71 (b. 1954-10-24)
Gender	Male
In office since	2015-01-06 (~11 yrs)
Race / ethnicity	White (German, Belgian, Swedish and English ancestry)
Religion	Roman Catholic (member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Pierre)
Education	Bachelor of Science in Political Science, South Dakota State University (1977)
Prior occupation	Insurance and real estate executive; partner in Fischer, Rounds & Associates, an insurance and real estate firm based in Pierre, SD
Military service	No
Birthplace	Huron, South Dakota
Marital status	Widowed — Jean Vedvei Rounds (married 1978; died November 2, 2021)
Children	4
Residence	Pierre, South Dakota
Notable relatives	Brother Tim Rounds, former member of the South Dakota House of Representatives (District 24)

Wikipedia · Ballotpedia · OpenSecrets · Official site

Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.

Career & politics

First elected	2014
Previous offices	Member, South Dakota State Senate (District 24), 1991-2001 · South Dakota Senate Minority Whip (1993) · South Dakota Senate Majority Leader (1995-2000) · Governor of South Dakota (31st), 2003-2011
Committees	Select Committee on Intelligence · Committee on Armed Services · Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs · Committee on Environment and Public Works · Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Caucuses	Senate AI Caucus (co-chair) · Bipartisan Senate AI Working Group · Senate Taiwan Caucus · Congressional Motorcycle Caucus
Leadership	South Dakota Senate Majority Leader (1995-2000) · South Dakota Senate Minority Whip (1993) · Governor of South Dakota (2003-2011) · Co-chair, Senate AI Caucus
Ideology	Consistently conservative Republican voting record; GovTrack places him on the right of the ideological spectrum among senators
Signature legislation	Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act (H.B. 1215, signed as SD Governor 2006; later repealed by voters) · 2010 Research Centers Initiative establishing ten research centers at South Dakota universities (as Governor) · Co-sponsor, Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S. 720, 2018) · Bill to abolish the U.S. Department of Education (introduced 2024)

Financial

Net worth: disclosed $3,240,000–$12,195,000 (2023) · estimate

Roundtable Farm (Fort Pierre, SD)	real_estate · $1,000,001–$5,000,000 · 2023
Oahe Federal Credit Union deposit	other · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023
FRA Farm (Pierre, SD)	real_estate · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023
Aeronics, Inc. (equipment manufacturing)	business_owned · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023
Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND)	fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023
Bird Dog Equity Partners funds (part owner of 10 Midwestern hotels)	private_equity · $361,000–$815,000 · 2022

Scandals & crimes ledger

resolved — FEC Matter: Disgorgement of Illegal Straw-Donor Campaign Contributions (Cancer Treatment Centers of America)

campaign-finance · 2009-2014 · The FEC found that Cancer Treatment Centers of America Global, Inc. ran a scheme from 2009 to 2014 in which the company reimbursed executives via bonuses for making individual federal campaign contributions, resulting in prohibited corporate contributions and contributions made in the name of another (in violation of federal election law). Rounds for Senate was one of roughly 31 candidate committees that received such contributions; his campaign received $18,500 from CTCA-linked donors. As part of the FEC's conciliation agreement in MUR 7248 (which required CTCA and several executives to pay a $288,000 fine and required recipient committees to disgorge the tainted funds), the Rounds for Senate committee surrendered the $18,500 to the U.S. Treasury. Rounds' chief of staff said the campaign was unaware the contributions were illegal until notified by the FEC. · Rounds for Senate committee disgorged $18,500 in illegal contributions to the U.S. Treasury pursuant to the FEC conciliation agreement; no penalty was assessed against Rounds or his campaign, which were not accused of knowing wrongdoing.

Rounds' Senate campaign committee was required to disgorge $18,500 in illegal straw-donor campaign contributions it had unknowingly received from Cancer Treatment Centers of America executives between 2009 and 2014, as part of an FEC enforcement action (MUR 7248) against the company.

Sources: The Washington Times · The Seattle Times · Federal Election Commission