Adam Bair Wins South Dakota House Seat

Openly gay Democrat Adam Bair was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives from District 10 in the 2026 midterm elections.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in LGBTQ+

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a domed state capitol silhouette above a flat prairie horizon, in deep red and cream. — Openly gay Democrat Adam Bair won a South Dakota House seat from District 10 in the 2026 midterm elections, receiving 28% of the vote. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Adam Bair won a seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives from District 10 with 28% of the vote, receiving 3,764 votes. He is the second openly gay man elected to the Legislature from the district, following Kameron Nelson in 2022.

Why it matters

Bair's election continues a pattern of openly LGBTQ+ representation in South Dakota's Legislature, a state where lawmakers have advanced several measures affecting LGBTQ+ residents. Bair said he was motivated to run because many neighbors and community members felt overlooked by elected officials.

Bair received 3,764 votes, or 28%, of the 13,339 total votes cast in the District 10 race. The extraction does not specify the other candidates' vote shares or the margin of victory.

The players

Adam Bair

Bair is a Democrat who was elected to represent District 10 in the South Dakota House, and he has said he hopes to improve labor laws and roll back discriminatory and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Kameron Nelson

Nelson was the first openly gay man elected to the South Dakota Legislature from District 10 in 2022 and has since moved to Minnesota, where he works for the University of Minnesota Foundation.

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is a political organization that works to elect openly LGBTQ+ candidates to public office and endorsed Bair's campaign.

Kathleen Brudvig

Brudvig is a Democrat serving her first term in the South Dakota Legislature and will serve alongside Bair from District 10.

The details

Bair, 34, works as a business advisor at Assure Software and has lived in Sioux Falls for 15 to 16 years after growing up in Idaho. He was endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and will serve alongside Democrat Kathleen Brudvig, a first-term legislator, when the 2027 session begins.

November 3, 2026: Bair is elected in the midterm elections.
2027: Bair begins serving in the South Dakota House during the legislative session in Pierre.

Political Context

Bair's election follows Kameron Nelson's 2022 win as the first openly gay man elected to the Legislature from District 10, extending a run of LGBTQ+ representation in the chamber. Bair has said he intends to push for repeal of discriminatory and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, which signals a counter-direction to measures that have advanced in the state.

Bair's election means District 10 residents will have a representative in the 2027 South Dakota legislative session who has said he wants to improve labor laws and roll back anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Voters in the district will see this representation take effect when the Legislature convenes in Pierre.

The takeaway

Bair's win shows how district-level races can shift which issues reach the statehouse, particularly for residents who feel underrepresented. Readers following South Dakota policy can track how Bair's committee assignments shape legislation affecting labor and LGBTQ+ residents.