Johnson leads GOP primary for South Dakota governor: poll 

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) is leading the Republican primary for South Dakota governor, according to a new poll. 

An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey released on Wednesday showed Johnson in first place with 28 percent, with businessman Toby Doeden with 18 percent, Gov. Larry Rhoden at 17 percent and state Rep. Jon Hansen (R) at 14 percent. A separate 23 percent said they were undecided.  

Rhoden was initially elected lieutenant governor when former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem served as South Dakota governor, but he became governor once Noem joined the Trump administration. 

The poll also found that the economy was seen as the top issue facing the state at 35 percent, followed by threats to democracy and housing affordability at 13 percent each, education at 11 percent and health care at 9 percent.  

“Incumbent Governor Larry Rhoden, who came into office after Kristi Noem was appointed to the Trump administration, faces a difficult election campaign as Rep. Dusty Johnson has garnered plurality support ahead of the June primary,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, noted in a press release. 

“Johnson’s support is highest among voters under 40, where he leads Rhoden by 23 points, and women, among whom he leads by 14 points,” he added. 

The South Dakota GOP primary for governor is June 2. Given the state’s leanings, whoever wins the Republican contest for governor is seen as the heavy favorite to win in November.  

The Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey was conducted between March 7 and March 9 with 1,000 likely South Dakota voters surveyed. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The survey included 413 South Dakota Republican primary voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 points.  

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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