“I Voted Today!” stickers are laid out for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, voters on Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
Recent candidate announcements, campaign finance reports and poll results are shedding new light on races for statewide offices next year in South Dakota.
The field vying for one of the state’s two U.S. Senate seats grew recently with a candidate announcement by Justin McNeal, a Republican from Rapid City. His announcement sets up a potential June 2, 2026, primary race pitting him against incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Rounds.
McNeal said he is a Navy veteran and businessman who most recently founded Dakota BioChar, which aims to convert forest waste into material that can be spread on agricultural fields to improve soil health.
In his announcement, McNeal said the largest threat to the nation is its debt, and he pledged to work against what he described as the “unholy trinity”: special interests lobbying elected officials, who in turn receive campaign contributions from special interests.
“This system will never benefit ‘We the People,’” McNeal said.
At least two other people have announced their intention to seek Rounds’ Senate seat: Julian Beaudion, a businessman, community activist and Democrat from Sioux Falls, and Brian Bengs, a park ranger, Air Force veteran and independent from Hot Springs.
Johnson, Jackley have leads in polls
South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota released poll results this week.
Their poll of registered Republican voters found U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson leading the race for the 2026 Republican nomination for governor. He polled at 28%, followed by Gov. Larry Rhoden at 27%, Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden at 15% and state Speaker of the House Jon Hansen, of Dell Rapids, at 10%. Twenty-one percent of respondents were undecided.
The only declared Democratic candidate for governor so far is Robert Arnold, a college student. At least two independents have also publicly said they’ll run for governor: Allison Renville, a Lakota activist and member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and Terry Gleason, a Chamberlain man.
In the race for the Republican nomination to succeed Johnson in the U.S. House, Attorney General Marty Jackley led the News Watch/Chiesman Center poll with 57% support, followed by Madison state Sen. Casey Crabtree at 5% and Piedmont businessman James Bialota at 2%. Thirty-six percent of respondents were undecided.
Announced U.S. House candidates on the Democratic side are former U.S. Department of Agriculture official Nikki Gronli, of Dell Rapids, and Sioux Falls nonprofit executive Billy Mawhiney. Scott Schlagel, a Democrat from Dell Rapids, has filed a statement of candidacy.
Campaign finance update
Rounds’ campaign begins with a big fundraising head start in the U.S. Senate race, according to campaign finance reports that include data through September.
His campaign committee came into the year with a balance of $1.9 million and raised $1.45 million while spending about $506,000, leaving a balance of $2.8 million. Beaudion launched his campaign this spring, bringing in about $146,000 since April and spending roughly $115,000, ending with about $31,000. Bengs, who also began his fundraising in April, raised about $155,000 and spent about $125,000, leaving a balance of about $30,000.
In the U.S. House race, Jackley raised about $526,000 since July and spent about $23,000, leaving him with about $503,000. Crabtree reported raising about $206,000 since July and spending about $25,000, ending with about $181,000.
On the Democratic side of the House race, Gronli reported raising about $23,000 since August and spending about $2,600, leaving her with about $21,000. Mawhiney reported raising about $17,000 since July and spending about $8,600, ending with about $8,500.
Candidates for state-level offices don’t have to report on their finances until January. Federal reports show that in the governor race, Johnson has about $6 million to bring over to his state-level campaign.
More candidate announcements
Attorney general: Jackley’s candidacy for the U.S. House creates an opening that McPherson County State’s Attorney Austin Hoffman hopes to fill; he recently announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination, joining at least one other Republican who announced previously, Lance Russell, the state’s attorney for Fall River and Oglala Lakota counties.
State treasurer: Jeff Monroe, a former state legislator who served the Pierre area, recently announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to succeed the current officeholder, Republican Josh Haeder, who is term-limited.
State auditor: Sioux Falls City Councilman David Barranco has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to succeed incumbent Republican Rich Sattgast, who is term-limited.
Secretary of state: Incumbent Republican Monae Johnson is seeking reelection and has at least one challenger for the party’s nomination in state Rep. Heather Baxter, of Rapid City, while former state trooper Terrence Davis has declared his Democratic candidacy.
Public Utilities Commission: Former legislator Don Haggar has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to succeed Republican Commissioner Gary Hanson, who will not seek reelection.
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