Jackley and Rounds win; Doeden, Rhoden to meet in runoff

The story has been updated to reflect results.

PIERRE, S.D. – Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden are headed to a July 28 runoff election for the Republican nomination for governor, while Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds cruised to victory Tuesday.

After all 686 precincts posted their results, Doeden came out on top in the four-man race with 31%, followed by Rhoden with 25%. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson was third with 23% and state House Speaker Jon Hanson fourth with 21%.

The statewide voter turnout for the election was 35%.

“I said we were going to prove them wrong. That’s exactly what we’re doing," Doeden said in a late evening news conference in Sioux Falls covered by KELO-TV. "Clearly we’re in a very good, strong position. And we feel more confident than ever that I’m going to be the next governor of the great state of South Dakota.”

Toby Doeden makes a point April 13, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the SDPB/South Dakota News Watch debate. (Photo: Jon Beringer)

Because no one got 35% of support, the two top vote-getters will meet in a runoff eight weeks later, on July 28. The winner meets Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election.

Doeden, a businessman from Aberdeen, self-financed his campaign with $4 million. Johnson, who led in fundraising, came up short.

“It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent South Dakota in Congress these past eight years,” Johnson said Wednesday morning in a statement. “While I am disappointed in the outcome, I am committed to helping Republican candidates get elected in November.”

Johnson will leave office Jan. 2.

Dusty Johnson speaks to supporters in Sioux Falls, S.D. on June 2, 2026. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch)

Rhoden, his family and about 75 supporters gathered at The Rushmore Hotel in downtown Rapid City on Tuesday night to watch the election returns.

The governor wore a black cowboy hat as he mingled with supporters who monitored county-by-county returns they hoped would favor the incumbent, who is from the West River town of Union Center.

Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen and Gov. Larry Rhoden viewing an election map on June 2, 2026, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch)

The governor’s extended family backed him throughout the night, including his 4-year-old granddaughter, Birkin Rhoden, who showed her support by wearing a red, white and blue dress that said “Grandpa for Governor” on the front.

Rhoden’s running mate, Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, said the campaign went well for the Rhoden camp, even if at times some advertising by his opponents turned negative.

“The governor focused on the record he has in the state and the results he’s achieved in office,” Venhuizen said. “I think the voters have really responded to that.”

Rounds and Jackley win

In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Justin McNeal was unsuccessful in challenging Rounds, who will now meet Democrat Julian Beaudion and Independent Brian Bengs in the Nov. 3 general election.

The final result gave Rounds a commanding 76% to 24% victory.

At Jackley's campaign watch party in Rapid City, the mood was upbeat as election results rolled in and showed a wide margin of victory.

He defeated primary challenger James Bialota, as the two sought to win the post now held by Johnson.

The final tally in that race put Jackley at 79% to Bialota’s 21%.

About 150 supporters, including several West River Republican candidates and office-holders, snacked on nachos and drank beers or sodas as they watched the results get posted on numerous big-screen TVs in the performance area of the bowling alley complex.

Bountiful ballots: Local election added to June primaryA law change added numerous local nonpartisan and political races to the statewide Republican and Democratic primaries.South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch

In an interview with News Watch, Jackley said he found the level of statewide support for his candidacy both “humbling and enormous,” which occurred because he “always took the high road” in the campaign.

During his celebratory speech, Jackley mentioned that he and his supporters will need to maintain their high energy level and continue to work hard in order to win the general election. He will meet Democrat Nicole Gronli on Nov. 3.

Jackley said he is aware that many people see Congress as suffering from divisive gridlock, but he has the experience and temperament to get things done. He said he has worked well with Republicans, Democrats and Independents while serving as attorney general and as a leader in the National Association of Attorneys General.

“I feel I’ve built a level of trust,” he said.

More local and nonpartisan elections also on the ballot

Because of a law change that put many local contests on Tuesday's ballot, the Republican and Democratic primaries included races for sheriff, county auditor, school board and other county and local offices as well as nonpartisan contests like mayor and city council.

Courtney Bahe took a break from her job in the Meade County Assessor’s Office in Sturgis near lunchtime on Tuesday to cast her votes in the GOP primary.

Bahe, 36, said she voted for Larry Rhoden for governor because he’s done “a decent job” and because she didn’t care much for the other three candidates.

Courtney Bahe of Vale cast her GOP primary ballot at the Sturgis Community Center in Sturgis, S.D., on June 2, 2026. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

“He (Rhoden) is generally fairly honest in what he’s doing, and he doesn’t try to misrepresent himself,” said Bahe, who's from Vale, which is 20 miles north of Sturgis and 45 miles west of Rhoden's hometown of Union Center.

Bahe, who has been a registered Republican since she became eligible to vote 18 years ago, also cast votes for Jackley for House and Rounds for Senate.

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Dave Dahl from Pierre said he backed Rhoden in the governor’s race. “He’s done a good enough job for the time he’s been in office.”

Frank Turner, 31, a communications professional for the South Dakota Rural Electric Association, said he voted for Johnson at his polling place in the capital city.

Supporters of Dusty Johnson and other Republican candidates do some last minute campaigning on June 2, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch)

“I do a lot of trips to DC for legislative conferences. I know Dusty Johnson to be someone who is charismatic but also clearly has a mind and a drive when it comes to public office. He served on the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) for a long time as well, so him coming out in support of data centers is something I appreciated,” Turner said.

“There’s a bunch of misinformation out there when it comes to their water usage. These systems pull in thousands and thousands of dollars in tax revenue.”

Did his homework; negative ads

Jackley earned the vote of Caleb Benson, who cast his primary votes just west of Rapid City, in Summerset. The college student educated himself about the election by talking with family, watching television advertisements and reading about candidates online.

Summerset resident Caleb Benson voted in the June 2, 2026 Republican primary at the Summerset, S.D., city hall. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

Benson, 22, also voted for Rhoden for governor and Rounds for Senate.

“I like that he (Rhoden) was a rancher and service member, and that goes towards having good South Dakota values,” said Benson, who is studying communications at Black Hills State University in nearby Spearfish.

Benson said Rounds has represented South Dakota’s interests well in the Senate, and Jackley has the experience to perform well in Congress.

A sign leads voters to a polling place at the South Dakota Capitol building in Pierre, S.D., on June 2, 2026. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch)

The negative tone of the gubernatorial race was a factor for at least one Pierre voter, a young woman who didn't want to be identified due to her employment at the state Capitol.

She told News Watch she left her choice for governor blank because of frustration at the slew of ads that have been released during the campaign.

“I wish they would put as much money as they did for the text messages, the spam calls and the junk mail towards something actually good. It was insane,” she said.

‘Anti-government’ sentiment

Julia Hellwege of the Chiesman Center for Democracy believes Doeden’s strong performance in the gubernatorial race came down to who ultimately showed up to the polls.

“This is a turnout question, and Doeden voters were highly motivated,” Hellwege told News Watch. “We know in primaries, it tends to swing further to the extreme. With South Dakota being a Republican state, that brings out further right voters and those populist voters are highly motivated, so more likely to turn out, while moderate voters tend to be less motivated. I think you see a general anti-government sentiment.”

Doeden made his lack of a career as a politician a key tenet of his campaign.

Hellwege added that the anti-government feelings among voters appeared to be confined to Washington and not necessarily Pierre, which ultimately helped Rhoden sneak past Johnson for second place.

“That was a big question: Rhoden not having been elected previously but serving as governor versus Johnson, who won statewide elections in the past and has that campaign experience but on the other hand is sort of the outsider in this context as a member of Congress,” Hellwege said.

Rhoden lambasted Johnson for running a series of attack ads against him and repeatedly hit back at Johnson during the debates for what he called “D.C.B.S.”

Hellwege said the key factor now for the July 28 runoff will be whether those who voted for Johnson, who represents the moderate wing of the GOP, will be motivated enough to vote for Rhoden or stay home.

“The Johnson voters are going to make that choice. Do they feel strongly enough anti-Doeden that it's going to make them turn out to vote?”

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Photos from the election and campaign parties

Voter turnout was brisk at the Sturgis Community Center polling site in Sturgis, S.D., just before the lunch hour on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)

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_Reporter Molly Wetsch contributed to this story. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/__alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org_ .