Former South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard endorses U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson’s 2026 run for governor on June 30, 2025, in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)
Republican former South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard made an endorsement Monday in next year’s race for governor, but not for the ticket that could include his son-in-law.
Daugaard endorsed U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, who is seeking the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Johnson’s possible opponents for the nomination include current Gov. Larry Rhoden, whose lieutenant governor is Tony Venhuizen. Daugaard is Venhuizen’s father-in-law.
Rhoden was the lieutenant governor for Kristi Noem, and he’s serving the remainder of her term after she left in January to lead the federal Department of Homeland Security. Rhoden picked Venhuizen, who was a state legislator, as his lieutenant governor.
Saying it’s time for a ‘new chapter,’ Dusty Johnson announces his campaign for governor
Rhoden has not yet announced whether he will run for his own term as governor next year, or whether Venhuizen would be his running mate. Venhuizen declined to comment Monday when contacted by South Dakota Searchlight.
Following Daugaard’s attendance at Johnson’s campaign event Monday in Sioux Falls, Daugaard told South Dakota Searchlight that his endorsement honors a promise he made previously to Johnson.
“I think when you say you are going to do something, you should do it,” Daugaard said, adding he doesn’t know what Rhoden is going to do. Daugaard described Rhoden as a friend and an honorable public servant.
Johnson and Venhuizen each served stints as Daugaard’s chief of staff — Johnson from 2011 to 2014, and Venhuizen from 2014 to 2019.
At Johnson’s Monday campaign event, Daugaard described Johnson as a bridge-builder and problem-solver.
“As my chief of staff, Dusty helped me cut $127 million from our state budget to get it back to balance,” Daugaard said, “without raising taxes and without cutting vital services, either, but by doing what great leaders do: getting people together, and finding consensus about ways the work can be done. And listening to different perspectives — always putting South Dakota first.”
Daugaard has also frequently praised his son-in-law, including when Venhuizen was chosen as lieutenant governor in January. At the time, Daugaard said he was “very proud” of Venhuizen.
“He will be a great help to Governor Rhoden,” Daugaard said then. “I know they’ll be complimentary to each other, and I couldn’t be happier for Tony.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
