South Dakota governor runoff goes to Larry Rhoden, NBC News projects
Gov. Larry Rhoden beat Toby Doeden in the GOP runoff and now heads to a November race against Democrat Dan Ahlers.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
Gov. Larry Rhoden won the South Dakota governor runoff for the Republican nomination Tuesday, NBC News projected, beating businessman Toby Doeden after a June primary failed to settle the race.
The victory puts Rhoden, who took over the governor’s office last year, one step closer to securing his first full term. He will face Democrat Dan Ahlers, a former state senator, in the November general election.
Who won the South Dakota governor runoff?
NBC News projected Rhoden as the winner of the GOP runoff against Doeden, a businessman and political newcomer. The one-on-one contest was triggered because no candidate reached 35% in the first Republican primary in June.
Doeden had led that earlier round with about 31% of the vote, according to NBC News, while Rhoden received about 25%. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state House Speaker Jon Hansen also ran, but neither advanced to the runoff.
Rhoden entered the race as the sitting governor after previously serving as lieutenant governor. He was elevated to the top job when President Donald Trump picked then-Gov. Kristi Noem to serve as homeland security secretary, NBC News reported. Noem was fired earlier this year, according to the network.
South Dakota remains difficult terrain for Democrats statewide. NBC News noted that the state has not elected a Democratic governor since the 1970s, and its two U.S. senators and sole U.S. House member are Republicans.
What happens next in the South Dakota governor race?
Rhoden now moves into the general election against Ahlers. A general election is the final statewide vote in which nominees from the parties compete for the office, and the winner will claim the governor’s office for a full term.
The Republican runoff featured two candidates eager to present themselves as aligned with Trump. NBC News reported that Trump did not endorse either candidate in the primary.
Rhoden cast himself as a unifying Republican with governing experience. In a campaign post on X cited by NBC News, he described his candidacy as offering “the proven track record of uniting Republicans from all factions.”
Doeden pushed a sharper outsider pitch. His campaign website said South Dakota needed “bold conservative leadership, not career politicians,” according to NBC News.
Both candidates campaigned on cutting property taxes. Rhoden also emphasized crime and pointed to South Dakota having the nation’s lowest unemployment rate, a claim tied by NBC News to federal labor data from June 2026.
Doeden’s platform also included deporting migrants, backing rural communities and opposing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the state, according to NBC News.
Money and messaging added heat to the final stretch. NBC News reported that Doeden put his own money into the campaign and spent more than Rhoden on runoff television advertising.
Rhoden also faced attack ads labeling him a “career politician” from a super PAC linked to the conservative Club for Growth, NBC News reported. The group had not publicly endorsed a candidate in the race, according to the network.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.