The Dakotawarcollege Unofficial chart of 2026 SDGOP Candidates – Summer 2024 edition!

@SoDakCampaigns

With few statewide races on the ballot for the fall of 2024, the bigger speculation is what’s going to happen in 2026.  Because it’s going to be a big, big election with a significant turnout. And the results are not going to be what you might expect if the top-two/jungle primary measure passes.  Without further ado, let’s push the season, and talk about what you might expect 2 years from now:

27 thoughts on “The Dakotawarcollege Unofficial chart of 2026 SDGOP Candidates – Summer 2024 edition!”

    1. Ah. Tolkien. “… But such falls and betrayals, alas, have happened before.”

      Enemy? REALLY? In this context, those who share different views likely don’t mean you harm. To immediately “go there” with such a label epitomizes the thoughtless rancor that holds our state–and our country–back.

      Consider the possibility that those that ruffle only press to heal. Have some faith in your fellow Dakotans.

      “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” JRRT

    2. The reason sos struggles is because we don’t run people who work there. These offices are not like congress or the legislature. They require moving to Pierre and being an expert at the job. Well Chris Nelson worked in the sos office for over a decade before getting elected to sos.

      It’s not exactly like there is a lot of training you can get for SOS other than working there.

  2. Wouldn’t it be interesting to finally have some competitive races to vote on in South Dakota? I bet voter turn out would go way up.

    1. Unfortunately we can’t vote on any of them except the top three races since the rest are all decided at the state convention.

          1. Predictions:

            Dems steal pres race.

            Noem runs for senate

            Rounds runs for gov
            Dusty runs for gov

            Congress: Crabtree, Drew Peterson

            Jackley runs for AG or hangs it up. Haggar, Hansen run

            No republican runs for SOS. Let dems have it. They fail miserably also. We blame them for running a terrible office and take it back in 2030 only to wish we had let them keep it.

            PUC: it’s chaos

    2. They had many competitive races for the legislature. No one cared. All open primaries will do is make the primary the general election and give us all time low turnout for non presidential general elections.

      Independent leaning dems and Dems won’t turn out for Dusty vs Rounds in a general.

  3. While it is probable that the majority leaders of each chamber would be considered to run for Congress, I think it would be remiss to forget that those two majority leaders (and another on that list) took a bill package and rammed it so hard through the legislature that they slayed their own team in the process. Lack of good leadership skills or simple bad decisions? Either way this will taint them going forward.

    Is there no one else in the House or Senate, not part of the freedom caucus, who leads better and would be a possible candidate?

      2. IMO – looking at the characteristics of individuals, successful bill passage, effective leadership styles, and balance of campaign accounts/ability to raise money, it is easy to see that Rep Tony Vanhuizen and Rep Taylor Rehfeldt are sure to be statewide candidates somewhere along the way.

  4. Those that believe in public health and vaccination verses the full tilt anti-vaxxers conspiracy consumed.

  5. I’ve talked to a few legislators who are shaking trees to see if they could or should run, but none of them are on this list. Maybe that’s a good thing.

    1. The problem legislators have is half of their colleagues don’t like them. It’s unfortunate but legislators kind of pull each other down.

  6. TenHaken eyeing Congress? He will be term-limited as mayor and is given every indication he wants to keep climbing the ladder of elected office.

    1. He’s Mr lock down. I don’t see him running. I’ve heard he hates politics.

        1. Tenhaken is a dark horse for governor. If Dusty, Jackley, Rhoden, a Trump person all run Tenhaken would be my dark horse pick to win if he ran.

          Evangelicals love him. Moderates like him. He’s kind of an interesting candidate.

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