SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives is seeking to trade in his Washington, D.C. office for the governor’s office in Pierre.
Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson told KELOLAND News Monday he is running to become South Dakota’s next governor in 2026. The 48-year-old Johnson currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, a role he has held since January 2019.
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“I’m going to run for governor,” Johnson said while sitting down with KELOLAND’s Dan Santella Monday morning. “I love this state, and I think the next 20 years can be the best 20 years in South Dakota’s history. But we need to have a real plan, we need to have real leadership, and I’m excited to build that plan and build that team.”
Over the weekend, Johnson announced a news conference for a “political announcement” at noon Monday in downtown Sioux Falls.
Johnson has served on the staffs of former South Dakota Governors Mike Rounds and Dennis Daugaard. He also served on the state’s public utilities commission from 2004 to 2011.
Along with Johnson, two other Republican candidates have officially entered the race for governor: Jon Hansen of the Dell Rapids area, who serves as speaker of South Dakota’s House of Representatives, and Toby Doeden of Aberdeen, president of Doeden Investment Group.
Doeden has already attacked Johnson in an interview with KELOLAND News. While saying he’s proud to be an “outsider,” Doeden said there will be two choices for voters: light vs. dark.
“I’m light; I’m good. Dusty’s dark; Dusty’s evil,” Doeden said June 16. “Those are going to be the two choices.”
Johnson’s campaign responded with a statement: “South Dakotans deserve a leader who will bring our state together, who will lead with integrity, and who will demonstrate the value of being a work horse, not a show horse. It’s pretty clear Toby is not that person.”
Johnson said Monday he anticipates a contentious primary.
“My politics are about addition and multiplication, not about subtraction and division,” he said. “There are certainly some angry voices out there. But I think it’s my job to push back against those angry voices. I think voters are tired of the fear and anger that is coming from small minds with small visions.”
South Dakota’s primary election is set for June 2, 2026. The general election will be Nov. 3, 2026.
KELOLAND News will have additional coverage of Johnson’s gubernatorial candidacy on air and online later Monday.
