Taffy D. Howard

Taffy D. Howard is an American politician and Republican who has served in the South Dakota Senate representing the 34th district since 2025. She is a proud veteran, mother, and community leader who comes from a military family with a distinguished record of public service.

Howard is married and has two sons. Together with her husband, she has been a business partner in several local ventures. She is part of the Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force and advocates for fiscal responsibility and conservative ideals.

Education and Political Experience

Howard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force after graduating college and served as an officer in the Air Force from 1990 to 1994.

Her political career began when she decided to run for office in response to taxpayer frustration over state spending. She was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in November 2016, representing the 33rd district, and served from 2017 to 2023. During her tenure in the House, she served as vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations.

In 2021, Howard formed an exploratory committee for the 2022 U.S. House of Representatives election and challenged incumbent Representative Dusty Johnson in the Republican primary. Johnson defeated her with 59% of the vote to her 41% in June 2022.

Following her House service, Howard successfully transitioned to the state Senate, where she currently serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriations and serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Rules Review.