Who's In the Race
Republican Larry Rhoden and Democrat Dan Ahlers face off in South Dakota's governor's race on Nov. 3. Rhoden is the incumbent governor and is running for reelection.
In the June 2 primaries, Ahlers won his party's nomination, while in the four-candidate Republican primary, Rhoden finished second at 25%, behind Toby Doeden at 31%, which forced a runoff. In the July 28 Republican runoff, Rhoden defeated Doeden by 49,152 votes, winning 71% to 29%.
Endorsements
Rhoden has lined up backing from some of the most prominent names in Republican politics. President Donald Trump and Kristi Noem have both endorsed Rhoden. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken has also backed Rhoden. Noem, who held the governorship before Rhoden, brings particular weight in a state where she won reelection by a wide margin in 2022.
Ahlers has received an endorsement from Democratic former President Joe Biden. No other heavyweight executive-branch or statewide endorsers have been reported for Ahlers.
Race Outlook: Ratings and Polling
All three major race-rating outlets agree on where South Dakota stands. Cook Political Report rated the race Solid Republican, updated Oct. 28; Sabato's Crystal Ball also rated it Solid Republican, updated Oct. 28; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Republican, updated Oct. 23. The unanimous Solid Republican ratings across all three outlets signal that forecasters see little realistic path for Ahlers to close the gap before Election Day.
Previous Elections
Donald Trump carried South Dakota in the 2024 presidential election with 63% of the vote, roughly 29 percentage points ahead of Democrat Kamala Harris, who received 34%.
Meanwhile, in the 2022 governor's race, Republican Kristi Noem won with 217,035 votes, defeating Democrat Jamie Smith, who received 123,148 votes.
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