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  "description": "The four candidates vying for the GOP nomination for South Dakota governor unveiled their final campaign finance figures ahead of the June 2 primary ballot. ",
  "path": "/governor-primary-campaign-election-financing/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-21T00:43:17.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.sdnewswatch.org",
  "tags": [
    "current balance of $931,000",
    "Gov. Larry Rhoden's campaign reporting $170,000",
    "House Speaker Jon Hansen's camp reporting $164,000",
    "Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden reporting $214,000",
    "Here are filings for other races",
    "South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat",
    "state political action committee Rushmore Principles",
    "his steady rise in the polls",
    "Subscribe",
    "New SD law congests local elections; races to watchA new South Dakota law about municipal election dates is adding to an already-heavy ballot for many voters this June.South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch",
    "Donate",
    "Share your thoughts on this story",
    "sdnewswatch.org"
  ],
  "textContent": "PIERRE, S.D. – Republican governor hopeful U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson heads into the final two weeks of the June 2 primary campaign with a substantial war chest compared to his rivals.\n\nHis pre-primary campaign finance disclosure form, which all candidates had to submit by May 18, indicates that Johnson, who started the year with roughly $955,000 available in funds, received $3.7 million in contributions through mid-May and spent nearly the same amount, leaving him with a current balance of $931,000.\n\nThat figure dwarfs the balances of his opponents, with Gov. Larry Rhoden's campaign reporting $170,000 cash on hand, state House Speaker Jon Hansen's camp reporting $164,000 and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden reporting $214,000.\n\nIf no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote, a runoff will be scheduled for July 28.\n\nHere are filings for other races.\n\nThe vast majority of the money Johnson's gubernatorial campaign received came in the form of a $3 million transfer from his congressional political action committee, Friends of Dusty Johnson. While federal law prohibits candidates for federal offices from transferring funds from a state campaign to a federal one, there is no such law that outlaws the practice of transferring funds the other way.\n\nJohnson has used those funds to go on a media blitz in the past few weeks as the race to secure the GOP nomination for governor kicked into high gear. According to his filing, Johnson has spent roughly $3.4 million on advertisements alone.\n\nIn addition to having more cash on hand, Johnson has also been boosted by the spending of political action committees that, while not explicitly supporting his campaign, have voiced their opposition to his rivals.\n\nSouth Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat\n\nA filing by the state political action committee Rushmore Principles showed the group spent more than $1.2 million on television ads and mail attacking Rhoden. Interestingly, and perhaps due to his steady rise in the polls, the group reported spending $50,000 on direct mail targeting Hansen.\n\nThe ads have mainly focused on recent bills passed by Hansen and signed into law by Rhoden which, in some form, raise sales taxes in exchange for lowering property taxes. Johnson claims the slew of legislation amounts to the largest sales tax increase in state history.\n\n## Doeden digs back into his pockets\n\nMeanwhile, Doeden has backed up his promise to largely self-fund his campaign by loaning it another $2 million.\n\nDoeden gave his campaign $2 million in 2025 and spent nearly all of it by year's end, starting this year with $41,000 on hand. According to his latest filing, Doeden has received approximately $10,000 in contributions this year.\n\nOf the $2 million he lent his campaign in 2026, roughly $1.4 million has gone to advertisements, while he has also spent $210,000 on salaries for campaign staff, by far the highest of any of the four candidates.\n\nLoans made by a candidate to his own campaign are not tax deductible.\n\n## Key takeaways\n\nMichael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota, said Johnson's financial strength highlights the growing importance of out-of-state money.\n\n\"I think it’s ironic because most South Dakota politicians will say they hate out-of-state money, but here we are,\" Card told News Watch.\n\nWhile a large portion of donations to Johnson's federal campaign fund were from South Dakota, he still did receive numerous donations from other states, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. In addition, the mailing address for the treasurer of the Johnson-friendly Rushmore Principles is listed in Alabama, not South Dakota.\n\n****Get South Dakota news and information**** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time.\n\n\n                            Subscribe\n                        \n\nCard said that while Doeden has been able to spend a lot of money, the small number of contributors could be a bad sign for him in terms of gauging his level of support.\n\n\"He had only 20 individual itemized contributions. That's really small,\" Card said. Candidates are required to itemize any contribution over $100.\n\nOf the $10,000 in itemized contributions Doeden listed on his campaign form, $4,000 came from an individual based in Oklahoma.\n\nCard said the strong number of unitemized contributions for the other three candidates could spell trouble for Doeden.\n\n\"I think the amount of small-dollar donors makes it more likely that those people will turn out to vote. That works against Doeden because he doesn't have many contributors,\" Card said.\n\nNew SD law congests local elections; races to watchA new South Dakota law about municipal election dates is adding to an already-heavy ballot for many voters this June.South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch\n\nDoeden recorded $806 in unitemized contributions, while Johnson raised $10,000, and both Rhoden and Hansen recorded $18,000 in such donations.\n\nCard said Hansen might be the one best placed to challenge Johnson if the numerous small-dollar donations listed on his campaign finance form translate into votes in two weeks.\n\n\"Hansen has a grassroots campaign. No doubt about it. He has pages and pages of people,\" Card said.\n\n****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.****\n\n\n                            Donate\n                        \n\nShare your thoughts on this story\n\n_**South Dakota News Watch** is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at _sdnewswatch.org_.**Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:** 605-736-4396/__alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org_ _._",
  "title": "Final primary campaign filings underscore Johnson's financial edge",
  "updatedAt": "2026-05-21T13:53:58.297Z"
}