South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden Wins Republican Primary Runoff
Unofficial results show Larry Rhoden defeating Toby Doeden in South Dakota’s first gubernatorial runoff. He will face Democrat Dan Ahlers on November 3 for a full four-year term.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden won the Republican nomination for governor based on unofficial results from the state’s first gubernatorial primary runoff, defeating businessman Toby Doeden and advancing to the November 3 general election.
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s unofficial results, updated July 29 after the July 28 runoff, show Rhoden with 83,582 votes to Doeden’s 34,430. Rhoden received approximately 70.8% of the 118,012 votes cast in the governor contest. All 650 of the state’s 650 precincts were fully reported.
Rhoden will face Democratic former state Sen. Dan Ahlers in the November 3 general election. The runoff settled the Republican contest, but not who will lead South Dakota for a full four-year term.
What the runoff results show
The Secretary of State’s figures remain unofficial. They are not final certified results unless and until the required canvass and certification process is completed.
The governor contest drew 118,012 votes. That is separate from the 118,123 ballots listed in the Secretary of State’s statewide turnout figure. The state reported 35.92% turnout among 328,882 registered voters, with all precincts fully reported.
Rhoden’s unofficial margin over Doeden was 49,152 votes. His approximately 70.8% share is calculated from the governor-contest total, not the statewide ballots-cast figure.
Why South Dakota held a runoff
South Dakota law requires a runoff for governor when three or more candidates compete and no candidate receives at least 35% of the party’s vote. No Republican candidate reached that threshold in the June 2 primary.
Doeden led the June primary with about 31% of the vote, while Rhoden received about 25%. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state House Speaker Jon Hansen also competed but did not advance. The two highest vote-getters then faced each other in the July 28 runoff.
The election was South Dakota’s first gubernatorial runoff under the state’s current system. It gave Republican voters a separate choice between Rhoden, who became governor during the current term, and Doeden, who had led the initial primary.
What happens before November
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s 2026 election calendar lists November 3, 2026, as the general-election date. The voter-registration deadline is October 19, and absentee voting is scheduled to begin September 18.
The general election will determine whether Rhoden remains in office for a full four-year term or whether South Dakota changes administrations. Rhoden’s nomination gives voters a direct choice over whether the current administration’s policy direction continues under his leadership, but that outcome is not guaranteed because the statewide race remains unresolved.
The governor’s office plays a central role in the state budget, executive agencies, education and health policy, appointments, public safety, infrastructure and implementation of laws passed by the Legislature. The November contest will therefore determine who sets the executive branch’s priorities for the next full term.
Rhoden’s path to the nomination
Rhoden was lieutenant governor when he assumed the governorship in early 2025 after Kristi Noem left office to join President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Because Rhoden entered the governor’s office during the current term, the 2026 election is his campaign for a full four-year term. His runoff victory ended the Republican contest and put him in position to seek that term as the party’s nominee, subject to the official canvass and certification process.
The runoff result gives South Dakota voters a defined statewide choice for November: Rhoden, the Republican nominee based on the unofficial results, or Ahlers, the Democratic candidate. The governor’s race will not be decided until the November 3 general election.
Sources
- South Dakota Secretary of State unofficial runoff results
- South Dakota Secretary of State 2026 Election Information
- South Dakota Codified Law 12-6-51.1
- Associated Press runoff preview
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