Last night was apparently an active one for candidates (and those who might be).
Toby “I’m not the evil one” Doeden was out in the field after his debacle of an interview on KELOland. Ironically, testing his positive/negative rating. I can almost guess which one is going to be up:
Also floating around in a different poll was someone testing the interest of people for Attorney General Marty Jackley in the race for both Congress. Yet, there was still a Gov. question at the end:
This is a weird period where rumors rule, and things are in flux. Affecting a few contests for statewide office.
It has been rumored that with Governor Rhoden in the race for well, Governor, along with Congressman Dusty Johnson, and the other two, the race for the big chair on the second floor of the Capitol is looking a bit crowded.
So, there’s talk that Marty is at least exploring his options on switching gears. And instead of running for Governor as many expected him to, he’s at least giving thought to the Congressional race. Yet.. he’s not necessarily letting go completely, as I’m told there was another question in this poll about Governor.
The problem with this for our Attorney General – And make no mistake, Marty is a good guy, and most Republicans including myself think the world of him – is that there’s a growing sense of inertia because supporters are less and less sure of what he’s running for. Donors are out there who may consider cutting him a check.. but they want to know specifically whether it’s Marty for Governor or Marty for Congress.
And the longer he waits to pick a lane.. the more commitments are going to have been made to other people. If Marty wants in on Campaign 2026 for a higher office, he might need to pick the trail he’s going to be running down very soon.
If you notice the polling question above, you notice that Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen’s name is still in that mix, when many thought he was not. And I hear that’s also causing some consternation. The thought was that Venhuizen is rock solid with Rhoden serving loyally as his Lt. But, I’m told some Tony supporters of his in the congressional contest are saying don’t count Tony out. Which might make for some awkward conversations.
Stau tuned. I’m sure there’s a lot more to come.
You are absolutely right, Pat. Very good insights — I completely agree with everything you said.
Jackley for SD Supreme Court!
I’m a Marty Jackley supporter.
If there were three of him I’d vote for him 3 times.
Once for Gov
Once for House
Once for AG
Since there is one of him I want to see him run for congress. We need a conservative and a Trump supporter in that seat.
He should stay as AG, that’s where he’s the best.
No we dont
Marty’s team is letting him down by pushing governor. They should tell him congress is the wise decision.
They should tell him what is in his best interest not what he wants to hear.
Is doeden surging?
HAHAHAHA. Are you joking?!
great comments and insight. Marty does need to pick a lane and stop checking which way the winds are blowing. I don’t think he can win a Governor’s race, nor would I support him. Possibly could win a Congressional race, but he has always said he hated the idea of going to DC. What does it say about him if he wants in that race now?
Doeden is a horrible candidate. See: Annette Bosworth and her narcissistic tendencies. Toby thinks he’s like Trump because he owns a car lot and some rental properties. He’ll be a trivia question within 5 years – “what was that guys name and what place did he come in?”
Crabtree appears to be a decent candidate for Congress. He’s got a big hill to climb in raising money and actually running a campaign. We’ll have to see how he actually connects with voters. If he connects well and raises money, he could be the next Congressman.
VenHuizen just wants a job anywhere it would seem. Smart, but not as genius as he thinks he is. And terribly awkward. Sending him to Congress is just a bad idea. Maybe he can go teach at the law school. He’s gotten pretty far from a nice prop up by his father-in-law. If he is really considering a run with Rhoden for Gov & Lt. Gov, it is one of the most disloyal acts I’ve seen in South Dakota politics. In deep with camp Dusty, then pivot to take your own chance? If that’s really what is happening, I would have loved to hear that conversation with Dusty. Wow.
Rhoden needs to just decide something. This story out about the so-called billionaire from Wyoming doesn’t make the current Rhoden admin look very good. Did they vet this guy at all?
The guy claims to have $45 billion committed – “I’ll take Things That Never Happened for $2,000, Alex.” Just seems that 30 minutes worth of calls and research would have exposed this guy for the grifter he is. But back to Rhoden – announce something. If he doesn’t announce and just stalls, and then doesn’t run, it will appear that this was all a set up for Dusty for Gov and Tony for Congress. If that happens, not a good look. If he runs, he has his work cut out for him, but I’d have to respect the desire and effort. History rhymes it would seem – remember Walter Dale Miller? Came close in a head-to-head with Bill Janklow.
As for Dusty – he’s likely our next Governor. Best of the current lineup, for sure. Certainly there will be detractors, but he’s got the money, network, campaign infrastructure, and energy to win. And he’s a helluva lot smarter than most, if not all, the other candidates. I’ve not agreed with everything he’s done, but he’s quite capable and would be a good Governor.
You’re right. Bring on Amber Hulse.
Amber Hulse appears to have a desire to fast track her political career. She wants to be Kristi Noem, but she most certainly is not Kristi, despite her campaign glamour shots. She has a law degree but has she passed the bar yet? And has she actually ever represented a client?
She’s not ready for a run for Congress.
How is it disloyal of Tony to run with Rhoden for governor? It seems like the most loyal thing to do.
Loyal to Larry, yes. The disloyalty is his long-time allegiance to helping Dusty run for Governor. There were very few people closer to Dusty than Tony. He appears to have traded that closeness and loyalty for his own shot. Unless this is all a game for him to run for Congress.
I don’t want politicians loyal to one another; I want them loyal to voters. If he is doing what he believes is best for South Dakota, then good. If it’s to himself, then not good. Who cares about his buddy buddy relationship with another politician?