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South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden will face businessman Toby Doeden in a GOP primary runoff as he seeks a full term in office, NBC News projects.
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Rhoden, the state’s former lieutenant governor, replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security. But that did not deter several Republicans from challenging him in the primary in the deep-red state, which now heads to a July 28 runoff after no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Doeden, a political newcomer, was in first place after the initial round, taking roughly 31% support with most of the expected vote tallied. Rhoden was in second with 25% followed by Rep. Dusty Johnson with 23% and former state House speaker Jon Hansen with 21%.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. But Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former state agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously served as chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before becoming speaker.
The eventual Republican nominee will be the heavy favorite to win the general election this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.
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