SELLOUT: Capacity crowd anticipated for South Dakota gubernatorial debate

Subscribers of The Dakota Scout scramble to reserve seats for April 27 event that will feature Republicans Toby Doeden, House Speaker Jon Hansen, Congressman Dusty Johnson & Gov. Larry Rhoden

The theater where The Dakota Scout and Sioux Falls Live will host South Dakota’s third and final GOP gubernatorial primary debate of the 2026 election season is officially sold out.

When a sitting governor, a congressman, a House speaker and a business mogul take the stage later this month in downtown Sioux Falls, every one of the Belbas Theater’s 279 seats are anticipated to be filled.

The two Sioux Falls-based news outlets announced Thursday that no tickets remain for the April 27 debate at the Washington Pavilion between Gov. Larry Rhoden, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden.

“I knew there would be demand for an event like this would be high — from what I understand it’s the first of its kind in South Dakota in a minute. But I had no idea seats would move this fast,” said Joe Sneve, a co-founder of The Dakota Scout who organized the event where seats were offered to paid subscribers of TheDakotaScout.com. “Our subscribers need a nod for helping us make this a successful and historic event, but more importantly for staying civically engaged.”

The 90-minute debate begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be moderated by Jonathan Ellis of The Dakota Scout and Patrick Lalley of SiouxFallsLive.com.

It’ll be broadcast on KSFL in Sioux Falls and KNBN in Rapid City, reaching viewers across the state via over-the-air, cable and satellite systems. The debate will also be livestreamed on TheDakotaScout.com, SiouxFallsLive.com and other Forum Communications platforms in South Dakota.

Top sponsors of the debate include MarketBeat, POET, Houwman Insurance, S.D. Corn Growers, S.D. Soybean and Americans for Prosperity.