Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., kicked off his campaign for governor of South Dakota on Monday.
Johnson, the state’s at-large representative, was first elected to Congress in 2018. He is the chair of the House Republican Main Street Caucus.
“We rolled up our sleeves and got things moving in the right direction, cutting trillions in wasteful spending, standing with President Trump to secure our border and finally getting tough on China,” Johnson said in a video announcing his candidacy ahead of the 2026 election. “It’s gonna take hard work. A real plan, South Dakota common sense, and solid conservative leadership.”
Johnson was recently reelected with 72% of the vote. Former Gov. Kristi Noem resigned in January after being named secretary of the Homeland Security Department by President Donald Trump.
Larry Rhoden, who became governor after Noem’s resignation, has not announced if he’s seeking reelection.
Two other Republicans have entered the race: Jon Hansen, speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives, and Toby Doeden, president of Doeden Investment Group.
Johnson told KELOLAND news site he expects a contentious primary campaign.
“My politics are about addition and multiplication, not about subtraction and division,” Johnson said. “There are certainly some angry voices out there. But I think it’s my job to push back against those angry voices. I think voters are tired of the fear and anger that is coming from small minds with small visions.”
South Dakota last elected a Democrat for governor in 1974.
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