# Tesa Schwans

Tesa Schwans is a Republican member of the South Dakota House for district 9.

- Party: Republican
- Seat: South Dakota House, district 9
- Serving since: 2025-01-14
- Current term: SD 2025–26 session
- Open States ID: ocd-person/052b96bd-7f02-4518-ba11-b1a55084149e

Source: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/052b96bd-7f02-4518-ba11-b1a55084149e (America’s Political Pulse, Polarization Research Lab), data through 2026-10-27. Data under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Westwood, Sean J., and Yphtach Lelkes. 2024. America's Political Pulse [data set].

## Headline

Schwans sits at −0.12 on the CSIP scale, more liberal than 98% of State House Republicans.

## Ideology (CSIP)

CSIP score −0.12 (standard error 0.01), from 9 donors and 300 roll calls. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it, on one scale for every official. 2.2% of State House Republicans score lower.

## Votes (SD 2025–26 session)

638 roll calls. Attendance 100% (South Dakota House 96.6%). Party unity 94.9% (76%). 119 votes against the party majority.

Key votes:

- 2026-03-12 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 78 revise the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB78/
- 2026-03-12 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · HB 1051 revise property tax levies for school districts and to revise the state aid to general and special education formulas. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1051/
- 2026-03-12 · voted nay · Do Pass · HB 1326 appropriate money for the ordinary expenses of the legislative, judicial, and executive departments of the state, the current expenses of state… · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1326/
- 2026-03-09 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 219 require that a state agency consult with the Aeronautics Commission prior to purchasing, transferring, or disposing of a state owned and operated… · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB219/
- 2026-03-09 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 245 create the homeowner property tax reduction fund, and to transfer moneys to the homeowner property tax reduction fund. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB245/
- 2026-03-09 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 221 regulate the retail sale of nicotine products, and to provide a penalty therefor. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB221/
- 2026-03-09 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 222 make an appropriation for eligible water, wastewater, storm water, and riparian buffer initiative projects and to declare an emergency. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB222/
- 2026-03-09 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 119 create the capitol restoration fund and to transfer moneys thereto. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB119/
- 2026-03-09 · voted nay · Do Pass Amended · SB 106 modify the amount required to be set aside for extraordinary expenses incurred in providing special education programs. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB106/
- 2026-03-09 · voted yea · Do Pass Amended · SB 102 modify the distribution of gaming revenues. · pass · https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB102/

## Legislation (SD 2025–26 session)

Sponsored 63 bills: 59 reached committee, 26 passed one chamber, 20 passed both, 15 became law. Cosponsored 0. 84.1% of sponsored bills got out of committee (South Dakota House 81.4%; rank 33 of 69).

Recent sponsored bills:

- HC 8013: recognizing the Agricultural Issues team of the West Central FFA chapter and celebrating their first-place victory in the state competition and their journey… (introduced, 2026-02-23) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HC8013/
- HB 1313: require education in prenatal human growth and development. (became law, 2026-03-30) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1313/
- HC 8007: recognizing Scouting America Day at the Capitol and celebrating Scouting America for one hundred sixteen years of service to American youth. (introduced, 2026-02-05) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HC8007/
- SB 218: provide for the establishment of charter schools. (in committee, 2026-02-20) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB218/
- SB 220: authorize a comprehensive study of juvenile correctional and residential facilities, to make an appropriation therefor, and to declare an emergency. (passed both chambers, 2026-03-04) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB220/
- HB 1275: create requirements for age verification and parental consent for application stores and to provide a penalty therefor. (passed one chamber, 2026-03-02) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1275/
- HB 1265: authorize the salvage of certain bird eggs. (became law, 2026-03-12) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1265/
- HB 1194: clarify authority for the Cosmetology Commission to credit work experience for educational hours for certain out-of-state licensure applicants, and to require… (became law, 2026-03-30) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1194/
- SB 173: extend the motor vehicle and motorcycle licensing fee available to a veteran with a disability to the spouse of a veteran with a disability. (in committee, 2026-02-04) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/SB173/
- HB 1217: limit the use of taxpayer funds and resources by a public education employer to support a labor organization or affiliate and to provide a penalty therefor. (in committee, 2026-02-18) https://openstates.org/sd/bills/2026/HB1217/

## Campaign money (2024 cycle)

Itemized receipts $12.6K (State House Republicans median $10.7K). 100% of itemized individual money came from in state. Aggregates only; no individual donors.

## Links

- Official site: https://sdlegislature.gov/Legislators/Profile/4717/Detail
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1201161131296548/

Full profile, with every chart and the methods: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/052b96bd-7f02-4518-ba11-b1a55084149e