| Jim Bradford | |
| Birth Date: | 18 October 1933 |
| State Senate: | South Dakota |
| District: | 27th |
| Term Start: | 2009 |
| Term End: | 2017 |
| Predecessor: | Theresa Two Bulls |
| Successor: | Kevin Killer |
| State House3: | South Dakota |
| District3: | 27th |
| Preceded3: | Larry Lucas |
| Succeeded3: | Kevin Killer |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Otherparty: | Republican (2008–2010) Democratic (2000–2008) |
| Residence: | Pine Ridge, South Dakota |
| Profession: | Rancher Teacher (retired) |
James Arnold Bradford (October 18, 1933November 16, 2020)[1] [2] 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.
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.
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.