South Dakota Reagan Country

Blue-colored illustration of Ronald Reagan wearing a cow boy hat with rural landscape in the background with mountains, hills and Mount Rushmore.  Blue and white text.

Republican politician Ronald W. Reagan served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. His journey to the Oval Office was helped by conservative states like South Dakota, which saw itself as a part of “Reagan Country.” Though Reagan did not have any direct ties to South Dakota, he knew he could count on the state to vote in his favor during his two election cycles.  It also helped that prior to the presidency, Reagan was a popular actor who starred in several television westerns. South Dakotans, taking a strong liking to these shows and seeing themselves in the actor, overwhelmingly supported Reagan in his bids for presidency.