“He brings people to the table.” Great profile on Congressman Dusty Johnson, and how he gets the job done in Washington

There’s a great article in Bloomberg that came out in the last week about the great job that Congressman Dusty Johnson does for South Dakota in Washington. And it mentions the quiet part, where Dusty might be coming home in the near future to run to be South Dakota’s next Governor:

Johnson’s impact on the House largely happens behind closed doors. He says that’s the way he likes it.

“One of the things that has allowed me to be really effective behind the scenes is that I don’t have any particular ambition,” Johnson said in an interview. “I’m not in competition with anybody for anything. I don’t view my work here as a zero sum game. I want to get things done.”

Despite Johnson’s proclaimed lack of ambition, his fellow Republicans see him as a rising star in the GOP, possibly a future governor. That will depend on how well he can continue to sell his brand of fiscal conservatism in a party some see moving away from traditional policy and toward personality-driven loyalty to ex-President Donald Trump.

and..

Johnson was involved in crafting the continuing resolutions that kept the government open while demanding concessions from Democrats. He led the charge on ocean shipping changes as part of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and helped legislation to force TikTok to divest from its China-owned parent.

As chairman of the Agriculture Committee’s commodity markets panel, Johnson has also been a key player in bills that haven’t become law, but would have a much better shot if Republicans take full control of Washington next year, like the trillion-dollar farm bill and a cryptocurrency regulation framework that some Democrats say is too industry-friendly.

“He’s whip smart, understands agriculture, understands rural America, and he’s a consensus builder,” said House Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.). “He brings people to the table.”

and..

It helps that he’s a fundraising powerhouse. Excluding McCarthy, who’s no longer in the House but has an active campaign committee, Johnson’s campaign had the sixth-most cash on hand — $4.6 million — in the House Republican Conference as of June 30. Of those top six, Johnson and Rep. Darin LaHood (Ill.) are the only ones who don’t chair a committee or hold a top leadership position.

Johnson is viewed as a possible contender for governor in 2026, when current Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) term ends.

Go read the entire story here, about South Dakota’s next Governor.

Word is that in the last few weeks there was a gathering of Team Dusty advisers and confidants at a hunting lodge, where the group talked about *things.*

And I would assume part of that discussion involved where he’s going to go from here.   Dusty has always had the go-to team for statewide campaign efforts, with other candidates coming to him for ground troops. And Team Dusty has consistently aiding friendly down ticket races. They know how to run a good race, and they may be preparing to activate for “the big one.”

When November 5th passes and we’re done counting ballots, day one of campaign 2026 will begin.

And I suspect Dusty Johnson will be a part of it.