2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election

Last updated

2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election
Flag of South Dakota.svg
  2022 November 3, 20262030 
 
Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Governor

Larry Rhoden
Republican



The 2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of South Dakota. The incumbent is Republican Larry Rhoden, who was elevated to the governorship in 2025 after his predecessor, Kristi Noem (who was already ineligible to run in the 2026 election due to term-limits), resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Rhoden had previously been serving as lieutenant governor under Noem since the two took office in 2019. Rhoden has yet to announce whether he intends to run for a full term in office though has already publicly expressed interest in doing so. [1]

Contents

Republican primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Polling

Hypothetical polling
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Mike
Rounds
Dusty
Johnson
Undecided
Kaplan June 12, 2023??25%25%50%

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [5] Solid RJanuary 23, 2025
Inside Elections [6] Solid RFebruary 6, 2025

See also

References

  1. "Rhoden takes step to possibly run for Governor". KELOLAND.com. February 7, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  2. Heemstra, Jody (February 20, 2025). "Dusty Johnson expects to run for Governor of South Dakota in 2026, but don't expect a formal announcement anytime soon". KPLO-FM . Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  3. Yost, Rae (February 7, 2025). "Rhoden takes step to possibly run for Governor". KELO-TV . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  4. Tupper, Seth; Haiar, Joshua (November 12, 2024). "Trump picks South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to run Homeland Security". South Dakota Searchlight . Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  5. "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  6. "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections . Retrieved February 7, 2025.