SD Democratic Party: We're not picking favorites in the 2026 primaries

Party chairman responds after gubernatorial candidate says leadership 'had someone else in mind'

From left, South Dakota Democratic Party Chairman Shane Merrill and Robert Arnold, a 19-year-old who said he is running for governor.

South Dakota Democratic Party leadership is pushing back on claims that it’s playing favorites in the early stages of the 2026 election cycle.

Party Chairman Shane Merrill told The Dakota Scout this week that the state party does not involve itself in contested Democratic primaries, despite recent assertions from one gubernatorial hopeful suggesting otherwise.

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