Jim Bradford (politician)

James Arnold Bradford (October 18, 1933 –November 16, 2020) was a rancher, teacher, politician and Democratic member of the South Dakota Senate, representing the 27th district between 2009 and 2017. He first was elected to office in the South Dakota House of Representatives. He was an Oglala Sioux.

Career
Bradford had a career as a public school teacher before deciding to run for office. He lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where he also had a ranch.

Political career
Bradford was first elected to office as a Democratic member of the state House of Representatives.

In 2008, he switched parties to the Republican Party after having lost the Democratic primary to the incumbent Democratic senator Theresa Two Bulls. No Republican opposed him, and he narrowly won the election over Two Bulls by 277 votes. A year after winning re-election to the state senate, Bradford switched back to the Democratic Party.