South Dakota AG sets sights on House seat held by Dusty Johnson
South dakota’s attorney general, Marty Jackley, is considering a bid for teh at-large congressional seat currently held by rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD),who has been in office since 2019. Speculation is growing that Johnson may run for governor, prompting Jackley to prepare for a primary challenge in the 2026 elections. In a statement, Jackley expressed gratitude for the support he has received and indicated his intention to run, emphasizing the need for more conservative allies in Congress to support President Trump’s agenda. Johnson, who recently announced he would make a political announcement soon, has also noted he is receiving encouragement to shift toward a gubernatorial campaign. South Dakota’s congressional seat is expected to remain “solid Republican,” with johnson currently being the only candidate to have filed with the Federal Election Commission and holding nearly $6 million in cash on hand. Polls suggest Jackley is leading the prospective GOP primary field.
South Dakota attorney general sets sights on sole House seat held by Dusty Johnson
Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) could face a strong primary challenger in the 2026 midterm elections from his home state’s attorney general.
South Dakota’s at-large congressional seat has been held by Johnson since 2019. But state Attorney General Marty Jackley is seriously considering a bid for the seat, as speculation rises that Johnson may be seeking a run for governor.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Jackley said he is “humbled” by the support he’s received to run for Congress from both the state and lawmakers in Washington.
“It has become clear that President Trump needs more true conservative allies in Congress to help him pass his agenda, so I am preparing to run for the House,” Jackley said, noting he plans to make an announcement “in the coming days.”
Johnson, the chairman of the Main Street Caucus, released a press advisory Friday afternoon announcing that he would be making a “political announcement” at 12 p.m. Central Standard Time on Monday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
While no details on the announcement were given, the congressman said on April 22 he was getting a “lot of encouragement” to run for governor, but “I’m not worried about that right now.”
“I do give it a little bit of consideration every once in a while, but day in and day out, I really need to be focused on my day job,” Johnson said.
South Dakota’s at-large congressional seat is currently rated “solid Republican” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The last time a Democrat held the seat was in 2011. In the 2010 election, Democratic incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandin lost to now-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who had the seat until she became governor in 2019.
Johnson is the only candidate who has filed with the Federal Election Commission, noting nearly $6 million in cash on hand.
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Jackley’s campaign finance report, which was filed in January with the South Dakota secretary of state, noted he had over $500,000 in cash on hand.
A poll taken by Guidant Polling and Strategy on June 24 found Jackley leading the prospective GOP primary field at 48%. Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen each polled at 5%, per the survey.
If Johnson were to launch a bid for the governor’s mansion, it’s possible he could face a challenger in Gov. Larry Rhoden (R-SD), who was the lieutenant governor under Noem and ascended to the top role in January when she left for the Trump administration.
Rhoden told local station KOTA in April he’s unsure whether he’ll seek to run in 2026, but he said he’ll likely make a decision once his “Open for Opportunity” tour concludes. It is still going as of Wednesday.
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