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) |
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| Signature legislation | Women's Health and Human Life Protection Act (H.B. 1215, signed as SD Governor 2006; later repealed by voters) · 2010 Research Centers Initiative establishing ten research centers at South Dakota universities (as Governor) · Co-sponsor, Israel Anti-Boycott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
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.