$1.3M
JUL 29, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Current roleGovernor
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age67 years old (Feb 5, 1959)
GenderMale
LocationSouth Dakota
BackgroundPolitician
EducationSunshine Bible Academy (graduated 1977)
Notable personal detailsLarry Robert Rhoden is an American politician, rancher, and business owner who has served as the 34th governor of South Dakota since 2025, after previously serving as the state’s 39th lieutenant governor (2019–2025). He also served in the South Dakota House of Representatives (2001–2009) and South Dakota Senate (2009–2015; 2017–2019). He is from western South Dakota and has operated a cow-calf ranching operation and a custom welding business.
Larry Rhoden has supported tax relief measures focused on reducing property taxes, proposed a county option to raise sales tax to offset residential property tax burdens, and emphasizes fiscal conservatism and balanced budgets while opposing large tax increases. His actions include signing property-tax-limiting legislation and advancing budgets described as fiscally conservative.
Focuses on strengthening rural healthcare access and the healthcare workforce through state programs and federal Rural Health Transformation funding, and supports integrating behavioral health into primary care; has sought legislation to restrict abortion medication. Public statements emphasize investments and programmatic changes rather than broad federal expansions or explicit market-based reforms.
Larry Rhoden has enacted and supported measures that strengthen immigration enforcement: he signed a statewide ban on sanctuary cities, has sent South Dakota National Guard troops to the southern border, and requested a Memorandum of Agreement for the South Dakota Highway Patrol to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His public statements emphasize removing criminal undocumented immigrants and supporting federal enforcement efforts to secure the border.
The candidate supports strict limits on abortion, seeks legislation to block abortion pills from entering the state, and has directed state officials to investigate abortion pill advertising. Abortion in South Dakota is treated as illegal except to save the life of the pregnant person, and the candidate has advocated enforcing and expanding those restrictions.
Larry Rhoden supports an all-of-the-above energy approach that emphasizes reliable, affordable energy and consumer choice while backing higher renewable fuel (ethanol/biomass diesel) volumes for rural producers. He signed legislation prohibiting the use of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines, citing property-rights and permitting concerns, and joined a governors’ coalition that seeks to limit regulatory mandates and prioritize affordability and reliability. These positions combine support for renewable fuels with a preference for market-driven energy policy and limits on regulatory im
Larry Rhoden has taken pro-Second Amendment actions as governor, signing multiple bills that expand concealed-carry rights (including on public college campuses and in certain workplaces and bars) and enacting laws that limit restrictions on firearm transactions and covenants that restrict firearm possession. He frames these actions as protecting Second Amendment freedoms and has signed legislation to reduce limits on where firearms may be carried or stored.
Larry Rhoden’s runoff nominee odds rose to 94.6% as local reporting said South Dakota Republicans hit a record registration high ahead of the July 28 runoff, reinforcing the market’s heavy favorite pricing.
Larry Rhoden is in the middle of a Republican runoff for South Dakota governor against businessman Toby Doeden, after no candidate cleared the threshold in the primary. The runoff winner will move on to the general election against Democrat Dan Ahlers. Rhoden has also been tied to major state policy moves this year, including a property tax relief plan backed by a county sales tax and a new law requiring new voters to prove U.S. citizenship.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Endorsers of Larry Rhoden for South Dakota Republican Governor nominee?
Public endorsement
The South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Larry Rhoden for the Republican gubernatorial runoff.
Elected official
The Tourism Coalition of South Dakota endorsed Gov. Larry Rhoden for the Republican nomination for governor.
Elected official
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken endorsed Larry Rhoden for governor.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
