South Dakota's Rhoden, Doeden Advance to July 28 GOP Runoff After No Candidate Tops 35%
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Jun 3
South Dakota's Rhoden, Doeden Advance to July 28 GOP Runoff After No Candidate Tops 35%
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 3
Summary
Toby Doeden led South Dakota's Republican gubernatorial primary with about 31% of the vote, setting up a July 28 runoff against Gov. Larry Rhoden, who took 25%.
The second round was triggered because no candidate cleared the state's 35% threshold; Rep. Dusty Johnson finished at 23% and former House speaker Jon Hansen at 21%.
Rhoden, who became governor after Kristi Noem left to lead the Department of Homeland Security, sought a full term on property tax cuts and crime reduction, while Doeden ran as a political outsider and strong Trump backer.
The runoff winner will be the heavy favorite in November in the deep-red state, where no Democrat has won the governorship since the 1970s and Trump carried South Dakota by 29 points in 2024.