Doeden's shortlist for South Dakota lieutenant governor takes shape
The Republican gubernatorial candidate is considering four well-known GOP figures as he prepares for next week's runoff election
Correction: Sen. Casey Crabtree’s appointment to the South Dakota Legislature was in 2020, incorrectly reported in an earlier version of this article. The Dakota Scout strives for fairness and accuracy and deeply regrets the error.
Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden is weighing four Republicans as potential running mates ahead of next week’s GOP gubernatorial runoff.
Doeden has not publicly named finalists in his search for a lieutenant governor candidate, but according to sources of The Dakota Scout, the political newcomer who made history as the top vote-getter in the June 2 primary has narrowed his shortlist to a former House speaker, a former congressional candidate, a veteran state government operative and a moderate leader in the South Dakota Legislature.
The revelation comes as Doeden, a first-time candidate for statewide office, enters the final days of a primary campaign that went from a four-candidate race to a head-to-head bout with second-place finisher Gov. Larry Rhoden when neither secured 35 percent of the vote.
And with the governor’s running mate long known — Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen — Doeden has faced growing pressure to reveal who he might choose to be a heartbeat away from the governor’s office.
Keep scrolling for a look at Doeden’s top contenders.
