This is the final installment in a four-part series profiling the four candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor of South Dakota.
PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Larry Rhoden doesn't hold back when asked about the slew of ads attacking his record that have flooded South Dakota airwaves and social media feeds over the past few weeks.
"Somebody who will willfully, intentionally and maliciously lie about another candidate to the people of South Dakota in order to gain political favor has no business running for office," Rhoden told News Watch. "It's a harsh thing to say, and I never would have dreamed of saying it, but I have to."
While not explicitly mentioning him by name, Rhoden was almost certainly referring to one of his Republican challengers, U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson. Johnson has put out a series of ads slamming recent legislation signed into law by the governor that, in some fashion, lowers property taxes in exchange for raising sales taxes.
"I went from being a farm boy to being majority leader in four years."
– South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden
What does Rhoden make of Johnson saying the measures represent the largest sales tax increase in state history?
"It is unquestionably false, and people know that," Rhoden said.
Rhoden invited News Watch to the governor's mansion for an interview as the race to secure the GOP gubernatorial nomination heads into the final stretch.
According to a poll commissioned by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy released last month, Johnson held a comfortable lead, but not enough to avoid a runoff, over Rhoden and the two other contestants: state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden.
If no candidate achieves at least 35% of the vote come June 2, the top two finishers will head to a runoff scheduled for July 28. The winner of that contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election.
While theoretically Johnson's sales tax claim does have some veracity under specific circumstances, Rhoden's response appears to show a man caught between wanting to hit back at accusations leveled against him but at the same time mindful he often touts restoring civility in politics as one of the tenets both of his administration and campaign.
Last month, Rhoden told a gathering of journalists that Johnson, through a mutual friend, tried to keep him from entering the governor's race.
As election day draws near, Rhoden seems to, subtly, be taking off the gloves.
A sense of service
Rhoden was lieutenant governor in January 2025 when President Donald Trump picked former Gov. Kristi Noem to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
While Rhoden battles to keep his job as governor, he cited his parents and the upbringing he and his four siblings, including a fraternal twin sister, experienced in rural Meade County as source of motivation and guidance.
"I was born and raised on a small farm that was stereotypical of the day. We had everything from milk cows, beef cows, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens. You name it. We had it," Rhoden said. "Our parents always instilled in us a sense of service."
Rhoden's grandfather fought in World War I, his father served in World War II and his brother fought in Vietnam. Meanwhile Rhoden served in the National Guard from 1978 to 1985.
Rhoden described both of his parents as staunch Roosevelt Democrats.
"They grew up as children of the Depression on a small farm, so they were very beholden to Roosevelt," Rhoden said.
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He said that as a young adult, he felt the agriculture- and rural-friendly Democratic Party his parents once supported had begun to waver and eventually was drawn by former President Ronald Reagan to the Republican Party.
"Reagan was a huge influence on me because he drew a bright line in the sand as far as defining what it meant to be a conservative or liberal," Rhoden said. "It was a defining moment for me because I felt, 'I'm not leaving the Democrat Party, the Democrat Party left me.'"
When asked about his steady rise in politics, Rhoden attempted to portray the attitude of an office seeking the man rather than the man seeking the office.
"Someone asked if I would run for the school board, so I did. Then one of the commissioners said I should run for the Legislature," Rhoden said. "I jokingly say that when I found out that I would have to resign from the school board if I won that's what made me agree (to run for the Legislature)."
Alexander Rifaat
Rhoden was elected to the South Dakota House in 2000, the first election impacted by new term limit laws.
"We had a huge class of freshman lawmakers. The most significant impact it had was all the veteran legislators in leadership positions were booted out, so there was a vacuum," Rhoden said.
The absence of an established hierarchy allowed Rhoden to quickly rise up the leadership ranks, becoming House majority leader after the 2004 elections.
"I went from being a farm boy to being majority leader in four years," Rhoden said.
He said that time period helped develop his leadership abilities by understanding his own limitations and knowing when to delegate tasks.
"I understood my weaknesses. I knew there was a lot I didn't know. But I knew well enough to put the right people in the room with me," Rhoden said.
After serving in the state House, Rhoden moved to the state Senate for six years before moving back to the House until Noem picked him as her lieutenant governor.
Calming the waters
Rhoden said his time as Noem's deputy was productive but challenging, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that by the time he ascended to the governorship a toxic atmosphere of infighting within South Dakota's Republican Party had taken shape.
"One of the missions I was on when I took the reigns was to calm the waters and make civility, openness and responsiveness the cornerstones of my administration," Rhoden said, not acknowledging Noem's own role in creating a divisive environment in Pierre.
When asked about his proudest accomplishment as governor, Rhoden points to a deal reached last year with the Legislature during a special session to fund a new prison in Sioux Falls.
"To turn that around from not being able to get a majority vote during regular session then get a two-thirds majority approving it says something about my leadership," Rhoden said.
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While the $650 million prison deal does put in place a long overdue replacement to the state penitentiary complex in Sioux Falls, commonly known as "The Hill," it did not tackle the larger issue of recidivism that has plagued South Dakota in recent years.
Nevertheless, Rhoden said he decided to enter the governor's race after feeling his potential gubernatorial opponents tried to sabotage the prison agreement.
"It was final litmus test for me. The three other candidates became more and more divisive and none of them wanted to give me a win because they knew there was a possibility I would be getting in the race," Rhoden said. "If we can prevail against these kind of odds, I feel like I'm the right guy for the job."
Rhoden announced his bid last November, much later than his three opponents. Does he regret not getting into the race sooner?
"I knew there were pluses and minuses to waiting, but it was important for me to know in my heart of hearts that I was making that decision for the right reasons," Rhoden said.
On Trump and Noem
One aspect of this contentious gubernatorial primary battle so far has been the absence of a coveted endorsement by Trump, who has been seen as a Republican kingmaker in recent years.
That was evidenced most recently in Texas with state Attorney General Ken Paxton's win over U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in that state's GOP Senate primary. Trump publicly backed Paxton in the final days of the race.
When asked about the lack of an endorsement, Rhoden shrugged it off and suggested Trump only likes to pick on safe bets.
"I don't spend a lot of time fretting about it. If you look at who he's endorsed, he likes endorsing winners and seldom goes out on a limb. And here we have a four-way primary with a seated House member in the race," Rhoden said.
"I just think he's outside his comfort zone in terms of making an endorsement in this race."
Rhoden also dismissed concerns his association with Noem could damage his chances in the contest.
"I have established my own record of results to stand on," Rhoden said.
When asked about the News Watch/Chiesman Center poll last month that showed a majority of South Dakotans disapproved of Noem's job as DHS secretary and approved of Trump's decision to fire her, Rhoden defended her.
"She was the victim of some unfortunate incidents that took place," he said.
Under Noem's leadership, Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers in January shot and killed two protestors in Minnesota. Noem was widely slammed for saying the individuals were committing "domestic terrorism."
Trump replaced her in March, with Noem moving to a newly created position as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.
Rhoden called Noem "smart" and said that in discussions with her it was apparent she knew what she was getting into.
"In Trump's first term, he went through five different secretaries of Homeland Security. She probably wasn't expecting to stay there all four years given all the turmoil," Rhoden said.
Heading into the final stretch of the campaign, Rhoden said his emphasis on his rural roots and years of pubic service will resonate with voters.
"I'm the only one in the race that has earned my living in agriculture. The only one who has served as commander-in-chief of the South Dakota National Guard. The only one who has even served as a volunteer fireman. This goes back to my commitment to service," Rhoden said.
"I joke that I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in. We've done everything we can. The more people I talk to, the more encouragement I get."
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org.
