John Carley is a Republican state senator representing District 29 in the South Dakota Senate, covering most of Meade County and parts of Pennington and Butte counties. He assumed office on January 14, 2025, succeeding Dean Wink after winning the Republican primary in June 2024 against Kirk Chaffee with a near 60/40 margin and facing no Democratic opponent in the general election. A former tech entrepreneur and small business owner from the Black Hills area, Carley is a devout Christian who entered politics to advance a conservative Christian worldview, emphasizing constitutional liberties, tax cuts, family protections, and limited government. Notable achievements include authoring a bill passed 18-17 in January 2025 mandating Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms; the "2026 Save South Dakota Act" restricting voting to citizens; supporting the largest property tax relief in state history ; protecting against foreign ownership of agricultural land ; and earning 100% pro-life scores.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Born and raised in Colorado, Carley moved to California for college, earning a bachelor's degree from Biola University in 2005. He lived in California until relocating to South Dakota in 2020.
• Political Experience: This is his first elected office, though he ran unsuccessfully in 2022 against incumbent Dean Wink. Key legislative roles include Vice Chairman of the South Dakota Senate and leadership in cutting discretionary spending , supporting Second Amendment measures , defining man and woman in state law , and preventing abortion pill distribution . He campaigned on keeping abortion off the state constitution, a successful ballot initiative.