Jason Frerichs

Early life and education

Frerichs graduated from South Dakota State University in 2007, earning a B.S. in Agriculture Education. He is the president of the Roberts County Farmers Union. He lives in Wilmot, South Dakota. Frerichs owns and works on a farm with his father and brothers, and also manages 150 cows. Frerichs teaches agriculture at Lake Area Technical Institute, and is an FFA adviser.

Frerichs father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all served in the South Dakota House of Representatives. Frerichs served as a page in both the South Dakota legislature and the United States Senate, working for Senator Tom Daschle.

Political career

Frerichs served in the South Dakota State House of Representatives from 2008-2010, where he was the minority whip. In 2010, he was elected to the state senate, becoming minority leader. Frerichs is a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the Legislative Procedure Committee, and the State Affairs. In 2010, Frerichs defeated fellow state senator Eldon Nygaard in the race for senate minority leader; Nygaard switched to the Republican Party shortly after.

Frerichs attributes his political appeal to his ability to transcend political ideology. Although South Dakota Democrats have recently been marginalized by strong Republican majorities in the South Dakota legislature, Frerichs sees Democrats as potentially playing a role in helping to develop renewable energy in South Dakota. A member of the more moderate wing of the South Dakota Democrats and an ally of former Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Frerichs may run for statewide office in the future, and was mentioned as a potential 2012 US House candidate.