When U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson opted to run for governor instead of seeking re-election, it opened up South Dakota's sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he has held since 2019.
In the June 2 Republican primary race, Attorney General Marty Jackley of Pierre holds a commanding lead over gun store owner James Bialota from Piedmont, according to the latest poll from News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy.
Here is a recap of the two candidates along with their thoughts heading into the June 2 election. The winner will meet Democrat Nicole Gronli in the Nov. 3 general election.
Marty Jackley
Hometown: Sturgis
Age: 55
Occupation: Lawyer; politician; former U.S. attorney for South Dakota (2006-2009); state attorney general (2009-2019; 2023-present)
In their own words:
"South Dakotans have been so kind to me, inviting me into their homes and businesses to talk about how we can make our state and country stronger. I am honored to have earned the endorsements of President Trump, the NRA (National Rifle Association), and the strong support of so many South Dakotans," Jackley said in an email to News Watch.
"I am running for Congress because the fight to save our country is in Washington. I will work with the President to strengthen our economy, keep families safe, rebuild our national defense, reduce the size of government, and cut taxes for hard working South Dakotans," Jackley said.
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James Bialota, Jr.
Hometown: Piedmont
Age: 48
Occupation: Business owner (Dead On Surplus); Air Force veteran
In their own words:
In an interview conducted over the phone with News Watch, Bialota sounded optimistic despite the seemingly large gap in the polls.
"It's going a lot better than what other people would like. Let's put it that way," Bialota said. "He's got a record nobody likes."
Bialota criticized Jackley in particular as being weak on crime and accused him of misusing state resources but didn't provide any evidence.
He has also accused Jackley of falsifying financial disclosure statements and filed a complaint with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. While he told News Watch an investigation by the North Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, which handled the matter due to a conflict of interest, proved illegal activity, in fact, when we viewed the report Bialota sent us it showed that his complaint against Jackley was dismissed, citing a lack of evidence.
He also sought to play down concerns over his own conviction for assault stemming from a 2021 incident in which he took down a 12-year-old boy. Bialota claims he was acting in self-defense in a racially motivated attack and said he has filed a motion to have the case dismissed.
While relatively mum when asked what his plan was to gather more support before June 2, Bialota said he was encouraged by the engagement he has seen on platforms such as Facebook.
"I like to keep my strategy close to my chest. We do have a strategy and it is playing well. Our social media game is on fire," Bialota said.
Alexander Rifaat
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.
