
Incumbent Larry Rhoden and Toby Doeden are running in the Republican primary runoff for governor of South Dakota on July 28. The gubernatorial primary runoff is the first since South Dakota passed a 1985 law requiring a candidate to receive 35% of the vote to avoid a runoff. In the June 2, primary, Doeden received…

On June 2, incumbent Larry Rhoden and Toby Doeden advanced to a Republican primary runoff on July 28. Neither received the 35% of the vote required to win the primary outright. As of June 3, Doeden received 31% of the vote, Rhoden 25%, Dusty Johnson 23%, and Jon Hansen 21%. This was the first time…

This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in South Dakota was March 31, 2026. Three candidates — one Democrat and two Republicans — are running for South Dakota’s At-Large Congressional District. That’s the second-highest number of candidates running in South Dakota since 2014. Two candidates ran for the district…

In 2026, 70.5% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in South Dakota will face primary contests, a record high since 2010. In total, 55 incumbents face contested primaries across the South Dakota House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each election cycle since 2010 was 24. All 55 of the contested…

State legislative sessions in 2026 have featured a number of bills affecting the administrative state, with five Republican trifecta states and one state with a divided government enacting bills that reduce the power of state agencies. The term administrative state refers to executive branch agencies with unelected officials (in this case, at the state level)…

The South Dakota Legislature adjourned its regular session on March 30 after enacting 21 election-related bills, all of which were signed by Gov. Larry Rhoden (R). Among those bills were two measures related to citizenship and voting. SB 175 requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in state and local elections.…

Florida, South Dakota, and Utah have joined nine other states in enacting laws requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. On April 1, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed HB 991, which includes a proof of citizenship requirement that takes effect on January 1, 2027. On March 26, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden…

On March 12, South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden (R) signed Senate Bill 133 into law. SB 133 is a REINS-style law, requiring legislative committee review and potential legislative approval for new executive agency rules expected to cost $3 million or more over a two-year period. South Dakota is the 10th state to enact a law…

Incumbent Larry Rhoden, Toby Doeden, Jon Hansen, and Dusty Johnson are running in the Republican primary for governor of South Dakota on June 2, 2026. If no candidate wins 35% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a July 28, 2026, runoff election. Rhoden was formerly lieutenant governor and replaced former Gov.…

What's the story? On Nov. 14, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) announced that the state would participate in the U.S. school choice tax credit scholarship program, which the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) established when President Trump (R) signed the bill into law in July. The program is a nonrefundable tax credit that…