Rep. Dusty Johnson launches bid to trade Congress for governor's mansion

Johnson hopes to follow path blazed by former Gov. Kristi Noem

South Dakota Congressman Dusty Johnson will run for governor next year, announcing a move Monday that has been a nearly foregone conclusion in state politics for four years.

“I love this state,” he said in an interview with The Dakota Scout. “I think the next 20 years could be South Dakota’s best, but it's not inevitable. I think we need a real plan. I think we need real leadership, and I’m excited to pull together that plan and pull together that team.”

Though only 48 years old, Johnson has a long presence in the state’s political scene – first serving on the Public Utilities Commission for six years before joining former Gov. Dennis Daugaard in 2011 as his chief of staff. After four years in the private sector, the Mitchell resident won his first term in the U.S. House in 2018.