Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin grew up on her family's farm and ranch near Houghton, in Brown County. She graduated from Groton High School and received both her undergraduate and law degrees from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Since she was first elected in 2004 as South Dakota's lone member of Congress, Stephanie has prioritized issues important to the state. Her positions on the Veterans' Affairs, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees allow her to play a central role in shaping policy suited to South Dakota's interests. Through her role on the Agriculture Committee, she helped to craft the 2008 Farm Bill and has been actively involved in overseeing its implementation through committee hearings and cooperation with USDA, state and local agencies to address producer concerns and identify new opportunities to advance renewable energy and encourage rural development. As a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin has emerged as a leading advocate for meeting the unique needs of women veterans, and as the chairwoman for the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee for Economic Opportunity, she has passed legislation to ease servicemembers’ transitions to civilian life – particularly for the new generation of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Her position on the Natural Resources Committee allows her to focus on issues critical to the nine sovereign Native American tribes she represents, issues like law enforcement, health care and infrastructure essential to economic development, as well as issues affecting South Dakota's public lands, including the Black Hills National Forest. In addition, Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin was selected to serve as one of just 15 members on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, in recognition of her leadership on and advocacy for renewable biofuels.

Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin is a leader of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, which is committed to tackling the national debt by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government spending and programs. This year, the Blue Dogs were successful in securing Congressional passage of pay-as-you-go laws, requiring Congress to pay for what it spends-laws responsible for the budget surpluses of the 1990s.

Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin has received a number of awards in recognition of her public service. In 2008, she received the L. Mendel Rivers Award from the Air Force Sergeants Association in recognition of her advocacy on behalf of airmen and their families. In addition, she has been awarded the Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union and the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the National Farm Bureau Federation for her work on behalf of South Dakota’s farmers and agricultural economy. In 2009, Shape Magazine named Stephanie as one of the top ten women who shape the world for her leadership on issues affecting women veterans.

Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin is a member of the South Dakota Bar, and worked with U.S. District Court Judge Charles B. Kornmann in Pierre and Aberdeen. In 2003, she served as the executive director of the South Dakota Farmers Union Foundation, and during that year also taught courses on public service and politics at Augustana College in Sioux Falls and South Dakota State University in Brookings.

Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin currently lives in Brookings. In 2007, she married former U.S. Congressman Max Sandlin and in late 2008, the couple’s first child, Zachary Lars, was born. Former Governor Ralph Herseth was Stephanie's grandfather and Lorna B. Herseth, South Dakota's Secretary of State, was her grandmother. Her father, Lars, served in the state legislature for 20 years and was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 1986.