2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election

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2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election
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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, though he has publicly expressed interest in doing so.

Contents

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Publicly expressed interest

Declined

Endorsements

Dusty Johnson
Statewide officials

Polling

Hypothetical polling
Toby Doeden vs. Jon Hansen vs. Marty Jackley vs. Dusty Johnson vs. Larry Rhoden
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [a] 		Margin
of error		Toby
Doeden		Jon
Hansen		Marty
Jackley		Dusty
Johnson		Larry
Rhoden		Undecided
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy [10] [A] April 9–14, 2025500 (RV)± 4.5%4%2%18%28%27%20%
Mike Rounds vs. Dusty Johnson
Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [a] 		Margin
of error		Mike
Rounds		Dusty
Johnson		Undecided
Kaplan Strategies [11] June 12, 2023––25%25%50%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Robert Arnold, college student [12]

Potential

Independents

Declared

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [15] Solid RSeptember 11, 2025
Inside Elections [16] Solid RAugust 28, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball [17] Safe RSeptember 4, 2025
Race to the WH [18] Safe RSeptember 16, 2025

Notes

  1. 1 2 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
Partisan clients
  1. ↑ Poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch

See also

References

  1. ↑ Haiar, Joshua (May 28, 2025). "Doeden joins race for governor with pledge to eliminate property taxes". South Dakota Searchlight . Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Huber, Makenzie (April 25, 2025). "First candidate for governor focuses on property rights, spending and halting 'corporate welfare'". South Dakota Searchlight . Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Congressman Dusty Johnson announces he will run for Governor job". KNBN . June 30, 2025. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (April 7, 2025). "Morning Digest: North Carolina GOP comes 'one step closer to stealing an election'" . Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Dircks, Jackson (June 30, 2025). "Marty Jackley seeks South Dakota's sole US House seat". Brookings Register. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  7. ↑ Santella, Dan (April 23, 2025). "Sen. Rounds looks at '25 dynamics, says no gubernatorial run in '26". KELO-TV . Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  8. ↑ Mitchell, Trevor J. (June 3, 2025). "Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken says he does not intend to run for another office". Argus Leader . Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  9. ↑ Haiar, Joshua (July 30, 2025). "Former governor makes an endorsement, but not for the ticket that could include his son-in-law". South Dakota Searchlight . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  10. ↑ Whitney, Stu (April 28, 2025). "Poll: Johnson, Rhoden set pace in South Dakota governor's race". South Dakota News Watch. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  11. ↑ Ebenhack, Phelan M. (June 12, 2023). "SD Republican voters share preferences for potential 2026 primary matchups". Dakota News Now. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  12. ↑ Nelson, Zach (June 7, 2025). "Pierre College Student Announced Democratic Bid For South Dakota Governor". KCCR . Retrieved June 8, 2025.
  13. ↑ Woster, Kevin (February 23, 2022). "Sutton's political time will come again, but not just yet". SDPB. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  14. ↑ Santella, Dan (August 5, 2025). "Sex offender, Chamberlain man running for SD governor". KELO-TV . Archived from the original on September 5, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  15. ↑ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  17. ↑ "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Governor Forecast - 2026-2026". Race to the WH. Retrieved June 30, 2025.

Official campaign websites

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