LIVE @ 7:30: Final GOP debate between South Dakota's Republican candidates in the 2026 governor's race
DON'T MISS IT: Larry Rhoden, Jon Hansen, Dusty Johnson & Toby Doeden make their case to South Dakota voters on a debate stage for the last time before the June 2 primary.
Live from the Belbas Theater inside the Washington Pavilion, tonight The Dakota Scout and Sioux Falls Live present the third and final Republican primary debate between the GOP candidates in the 2026 South Dakota governor’s race.
Standing in front of more than 300 voters, community leaders and party activists, the four candidates make the case why they should lead our great state for the next four years.
This historic exercise of civics is made possible by POET, MarketBeat, Houwman Insurance, the South Dakota Corn Growers Association and the South Dakota Soybean Association.
Moderators are Jonathan Ellis of The Dakota Scout and Patrick Lalley of Sioux Falls Live. The questions being asked have been curated by journalists from both news organizations.
The debate 90 minutes in length and includes two commercial breaks.
The rules for tonight’s debate were agreed to in advance by the campaigns. Candidates have set time limits for responses and rebuttals, and the audience is asked to maintain decorum and to refrain from applause following candidate answers.
THE 2026 GOP
GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES
Larry Rhoden — Union Center
Gov. Larry Rhoden, 67, ascended to the governorship in January 2025 and is now seeking a full term. A fourth-generation South Dakotan and rancher from the West River region near Union Center and Sturgis, Rhoden graduated from Sunshine Bible Academy and served in the South Dakota Army National Guard. Before full-time politics, he worked as a rancher and businessman.
Rhoden’s political career spans more than two decades. He served in the House (2001–2009, including as Majority Leader), the Senate (2009–2015 and 2017–2019, including as Majority Whip), and as lieutenant governor alongside Kristi Noem from 2019 to 2025 (also serving as Senate president). As governor, he has focused on property tax relief, economic opportunity, public safety, and rural values. He presents himself as a steady, pragmatic leader rooted in faith, family, and the independent spirit of western South Dakota. He is running with incumbent Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen.
Jon Hansen — Dell Rapids
South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen, 40, was the first Republican to launch a candidacy for governor in the 2026 cycle. A fifth-generation South Dakotan and Yankton-area native now living in Dell Rapids, Hansen is a seasoned legislator and attorney. He first won election to the South Dakota House in 2010 at a young age, left briefly to attend the University of South Dakota School of Law, and returned to the House in 2018. He currently represents District 25 and serves as Speaker.
Hansen has been a prominent voice in the state’s conservative movement, particularly on anti-abortion issues, property rights, and fiscal restraint. His campaign emphasizes reducing property taxes, cutting government spending and “corporate welfare,” rooting out waste, and preserving South Dakota values of faith, family, and freedom. He is running with Rep. Karla Lems as his lieutenant governor running mate.
Dusty Johnson — Mitchell
Congressman Dusty Johnson, 49, is a longtime fixture in South Dakota politics seeking to move from Washington, D.C., to the governor’s mansion. A Mitchell resident, he was one of the youngest statewide elected officials in the country when he won a seat on the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in 2004. He later served as chief of staff to former Gov. Dennis Daugaard, helping implement the governor’s agenda, and gained private-sector experience as a vice president at Vantage Point Solutions, a telecommunications engineering and consulting firm.
Johnson has represented South Dakota’s at-large congressional district since 2019. He touts a pragmatic conservative voting record focused on agriculture, infrastructure, and national security. His campaign for governor highlights conservative values, job creation, business growth, and applying South Dakota common sense to state government.
Toby Doeden — Aberdeen
Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, 51, is a political newcomer and self-described anti-establishment conservative mounting a challenge to the GOP field. A Groton native, Doeden rose from an entry-level employee to lead Aberdeen Chrysler Center and has built a broader business empire through the Doeden Investment Group, including auto dealerships, real estate, and other ventures that employ hundreds across the region.
With no prior elected experience, Doeden brands himself as a pro-Trump outsider and self-made entrepreneur who brings private-sector results rather than career politics. His campaign centers on bold conservative reforms, including eliminating property taxes, slashing government spending, opposing “establishment” politics, and advancing socially conservative priorities.