WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota Republicans will decide in a primary runoff Tuesday whether to nominate Gov. Larry Rhoden for a full term or to instead tap businessman Toby Doeden to represent the party on the ballot in November. The two were the top vote-getters in the June 2 primary, but neither candidate reached the 35% vote threshold needed to win the nomination outright.
The winner of the runoff will enter the general election against Democratic former state Sen. Dan Ahlers with a significant advantage in the reliably Republican state that hasn’t had a Democratic governor since the 1970s.
Rhoden was lieutenant governor when he assumed the top job in early 2025 after then-Gov. Kristi Noem stepped down to join President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. In addition to Rhoden and Doeden, the primary field included U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state House Speaker Jon Hansen.
Doeden placed first in the primary with about 31% of the vote with a close three-way race for the second runoff slot. Rhoden received about 25% of the vote, followed by Johnson at 23% and Hansen at about 21%.
Two key counties to watch are on opposite ends of the state. Minnehaha County on the eastern border is home to Sioux Falls. Pennington County on the western border is home to Rapid City. Together, they are home to a third of the state’s registered Republicans and helped Doeden secure his first-place primary showing.
Doeden narrowly edged Johnson in Minnehaha County and had about a 7-point lead over second-place Rhoden in Pennington County. Doeden also carried most of the small, rural counties across eastern South Dakota.
Rhoden helped secure a runoff berth with his wins across central and northwestern South Dakota, including key leads in Meade, Lawrence and Hughes County, which includes Pierre, the state capital. The three counties combined are home to about 10% of the state’s registered Republicans.
Lincoln County in the suburbs south of Sioux Falls could be another key battleground in the runoff. It’s the state’s third-most populous county and has the highest population of any county where neither Doeden nor Rhoden placed first or second.
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