Karla Lems

Karla Lems

Speaker pro tempore of the South Dakota House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 14, 2025
Preceded by	Mike Stevens
Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from the 16th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2023 Serving with Kevin Jensen
Preceded by	David Anderson

Personal details
Born	(1969-03-30) March 30, 1969
Party	Republican

Karla J. Lems (born March 30, 1969)^[1]^[2] is an American politician. She has served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from the 16th district since 2023, alongside Kevin Jensen.^[3] She is a member of the Republican Party.^[4]

References

↑ "Karla J. Lems". Sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved July 23, 2026.
↑ https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/meet-the-candidate-karla-lems
↑ "Representative Karla J. Lems". South Dakota Legislature. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
↑ Dunteman, Hunter (December 22, 2023). "Lawmakers say new Lincoln County prison could cost as much as $1.2B". Sioux Falls Live. Retrieved January 29, 2024.

Statewide political officials of South Dakota
U.S. senators	John Thune Mike Rounds
U.S. representative	Dusty Johnson, At-large representative
State government	Larry Rhoden, Governor Tony Venhuizen, Lieutenant Governor Monae Johnson, Secretary of State Marty Jackley, Attorney General Josh Haeder, Treasurer Rich Sattgast, Auditor Brock Greenfield, School and Public Lands Commissioner Kristie Fiegen, Gary W. Hanson, Chris Nelson, Public Utilities Commissioners
Senate	Tony Venhuizen, President Chris Karr, President pro tempore Jim Mehlhaff, Majority Leader Liz Larson, Minority Leader
House	Jon Hansen, Speaker Karla Lems, Speaker pro tempore Scott Odenbach, Majority Leader Erin Healy, Minority Leader
Supreme Court (appointed)	Steven R. Jensen, Chief Justice Mark Salter Patricia DeVaney Scott P. Myren Robert Gusinsky, Associate Justices

Speakers of U.S. lower houses
United States House of Representatives: ▌Mike Johnson (R)
AL ▌Ledbetter (R), ▌Pringle (R) AK ▌Edgmon (I/C) AZ ▌Montenegro (R), ▌Carter (R) AR ▌Evans (R), ▌Vacant CA ▌Rivas (D), ▌Lowenthal (D) CO ▌McCluskie (D), ▌Boesenecker (D) CT ▌Ritter (D), ▌Godfrey (D) DE ▌Melissa Minor-Brown (D) FL ▌Perez (R), ▌Duggan (R) GA ▌Burns (R), ▌Jones (R) HI ▌Nakamura (D), ▌Ichiyama (D) ID ▌Moyle (R) IL ▌Welch (D), ▌Buckner (D) IN ▌Huston (R), ▌Karickhoff (R) IA ▌Grassley (R), ▌Wills (R) KS ▌Hawkins (R), ▌Carpenter (R) KY ▌Osborne (R), ▌Meade (R) LA ▌DeVillier (R), ▌Johnson (R) ME ▌Fecteau (D) MD ▌Peña-Melnyk (D), ▌Clippinger (D) MA ▌Mariano (D), ▌Hogan (D) MI ▌Hall (R), ▌Smit (R) MN ▌Demuth (R), ▌Olson (R) MS ▌White (R), ▌Barton (R) MO ▌Patterson (R), ▌Perkins (R) MT ▌Ler (R), ▌Zolnikov (R) NE ▌Kelly (R), ▌Arch (R)* NV ▌Yeager (D), ▌Monroe-Moreno (D) NH ▌Packard (R), ▌Kofalt (R) NJ ▌Coughlin (D), ▌Quijano (D) NM ▌Martínez (D) NY ▌Heastie (D), ▌Hunter (D) NC ▌Hall (R), ▌Setzer (R) ND ▌Weisz (R) OH ▌Huffman (R), ▌Manning (R) OK ▌Hilbert (R), ▌Moore (R) OR ▌Fahey (D), ▌Gomberg (D) PA ▌McClinton (D) RI ▌Blazejewski (D), ▌Kennedy (D) SC ▌Smith (R), ▌Pope (R) SD ▌Hansen (R), ▌Lems (R) TN ▌Sexton (R), ▌Marsh (R) TX ▌Burrows (R), ▌Moody (D) UT ▌Schultz (R), ▌Dunnigan (R) VT ▌Krowinski (D) VA ▌Scott (D) WA ▌Jinkins (D), ▌Stearns (D) WV ▌Hanshaw (R), ▌Rohrbach (R) WI ▌Vos (R), ▌Petersen (R) WY ▌Neiman (R), ▌Haroldson (R) Federal districts: DC ▌Mendelson (D), ▌Bonds (D) Territories:** AS ▌Ale (R) GU ▌Blas (D)* MP ▌Villagomez (I) PR ▌Méndez (NPP/R), ▌Peña (NPP) VI ▌Potter (D)*
Italics indicate speakers pro tempore *Unicameral body

Members of the South Dakota House of Representatives
South Dakota Legislature (2025–present) Speaker of the House Jon Hansen (R-25) Speaker pro tempore Karla Lems (R-16) Majority Leader Scott Odenbach (R-31) Minority Leader Erin Healy (D-10)
1. ▌Logan Manhart (R) ⎣ ▌Nick Fosness (R) 2. ▌David Kull (R) ⎣ ▌John Sjaarda (R) 3. ▌Brandei Schaefbauer (R) ⎣ ▌Al Novstrup (R) 4. ▌Kent Roe (R) ⎣ ▌Dylan C. Jordan (R) 5. ▌Matt Roby (R) ⎣ ▌Josephine Garcia (R) 6. ▌Aaron Aylward (R) ⎣ ▌Tim Czmowski (R) 7. ▌Mellissa Heermann (R) ⎣ ▌Roger DeGroot (R) 8. ▌Tim Walburg (R) ⎣ ▌Tim Reisch (R) 9. ▌Bethany Soye (R) ⎣ ▌Tesa Schwans (R) 10. ▌Erin Healy (D) ⎣ ▌Bobbi Andera (R) 11. ▌Brian Mulder (R) ⎣ ▌Keri Weems (R) 12. ▌Amber Arlint (R) ⎣ ▌Greg Jamison (R) 13. ▌John Hughes (R) ⎣ ▌Jack Kolbeck (R) 14. ▌Taylor Rehfeldt (R) ⎣ ▌Tony Kayser (R) 15. ▌Kadyn Wittman (D) ⎣ ▌Erik Muckey (D) 16. ▌Karla Lems (R) ⎣ ▌John Shubeck (R) 17. ▌William Shorma (R) ⎣ ▌Chris Kassin (R) 18. ▌Mike Stevens (R) ⎣ ▌Julie Auch (R) 19. ▌Drew Peterson (R) ⎣ ▌Jessica Bahmuller (R) 20. ▌Jeff Bathke (R) ⎣ ▌Kaley Nolz (R) 21. ▌Jim Halverson (R) ⎣ ▌Marty Overweg (R) 22. ▌Kevin Van Diepen (R) ⎣ ▌Lana Greenfield (R) 23. ▌Scott Moore (R) ⎣ ▌Spencer Gosch (R) 24. ▌Will Mortenson (R) ⎣ ▌Mike Weisgram (R) 25. ▌Jon Hansen (R) ⎣ ▌Leslie Heinemann (R) 26A. ▌Eric Emery (D) 26B. ▌Rebecca Reimer (R) 27. ▌Liz Marty May (R) ⎣ ▌Peri Pourier (R) 28A. ▌Jana Hunt (R) 28B. ▌Neil Pinnow (R) 29. ▌Terri Jorgenson (R) ⎣ ▌Kathy Rice (R) 30. ▌Tim Goodwin (R) ⎣ ▌Trish Ladner (R) 31. ▌Mary Fitzgerald (R) ⎣ ▌Scott Odenbach (R) 32. ▌Nicole Uhre-Balk (D) ⎣ ▌Steve Duffy (R) 33. ▌Curt Massie (R) ⎣ ▌Phil Jensen (R) 34. ▌Mike Derby (R) ⎣ ▌Heather Baxter (R) 35. ▌Tina Mulally (R) ⎣ ▌Tony Randolph (R)
▌Republican (65) ▌Democratic (5) South Dakota Legislature South Dakota House of Representatives South Dakota Senate