Frank Farrar holds a robust educational background, including a B.S. and LL.B. from the University of South Dakota. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve and achieved the rank of Captain during active duty in the Korean War. Farrar's career began as an Internal Revenue Service Agent and progressed through various judicial roles, including serving as a judge and State's Attorney for Marshall County. He was elected Attorney General of South Dakota for three terms, focusing on law enforcement and financial regulations. As Governor of South Dakota, Farrar concentrated on reducing drug-related crimes and modernizing financial regulations, though his tenure ended with an unsuccessful re-election bid. Post-governorship, he practiced law, managed banks across multiple states, and engaged in philanthropy.

Frank Farrar's political career is marked by a calculated approach to policy, particularly in criminal justice and economic regulation. His enforcement of stringent laws on insurance, banking, and securities reveals a stringent regulatory philosophy. However, his commutation of a death sentence based on social context rather than legal precedent introduces a nuanced, almost compassionate layer to his otherwise rigid stance. His economic policies, including the controversial sales tax increase, demonstrate a willingness to implement tough measures, even when they risk electoral backlash.