A 19 year-old college student from Pierre says he’s running for governor of South Dakota as a democrat in 2026. That’s according to reporting by Northern Plains News.
Robert Arnold, a Dakota State University undergrad, announced his campaign Saturday (June 7, 2025) at the Capitol in Pierre.
Arnold is Oglala Lakota and would be the state’s first Native governor. He cites COVID-19 policies as his political wake-up call and says he’s running to address affordable housing, tribal community safety and education funding.
Arnold has served as a legislative page and intern and plans to campaign while continuing his full-time studies.
Arnold will be 21 years old by the time the 2026 election comes around– that’s the minimum age someone can be in South Dakota to be elected governor.
Northern Plains News contributed to this story.
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