South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden Wins GOP Runoff Over Businessman Toby Doeden

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, a Republican who succeeded Kristi Noem after she became U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, defeated Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden in a Republican gubernatorial primary runoff held July 28, 2026. The runoff was the first in South Dakota history, triggered because neither candidate reached the required 35% threshold in the June 2 primary, where Doeden led with about 30.6% and Rhoden received about 25.2%. Rhoden had announced his campaign in November 2025 after taking over the governorship, and he will face Democrat Dan Ahlers, a former state senator, in the November 3, 2026 general election. According to complete returns, Rhoden won the runoff decisively with approximately 71% of the vote, receiving 83,582 votes to Doeden's 34,430, a roughly 42-point margin. Rhoden carried 64 of the state's 66 counties, with only Fall River and Todd counties favoring Doeden. The race was called by multiple outlets, including Decision Desk HQ, NBC News, and the Associated Press. Property tax policy dominated the campaign: Rhoden pointed to Senate bills 96 and 245, which he said reduced owner-occupied property taxes by 34%, while Doeden pledged to phase out owner-occupied property taxes entirely within three to four years. With the runoff concluded, Rhoden advances to the November general election as the Republican nominee against Ahlers in a state considered reliably Republican. As South Dakota's gubernatorial process requires the nominee to select a running mate after winning the primary, Rhoden's choice of lieutenant governor candidate for the general election ballot was not detailed in available reporting. No material disputes emerged among sources regarding the outcome, vote totals, or county results, though some reports offered more granular detail on the debate over competing property tax proposals than others.