Candidates for South Dakota governor will debate twice in September

Two debates between South Dakota’s candidates for governor will take place in September.

The first will be at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron during the fair Sept. 2-7, with the time and date of the debate yet to be confirmed. 

The second is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Mountain on Sept. 28, and will take place at the South Dakota Public Broadcasting studio in Sioux Falls, in partnership with South Dakota News Watch.

Podcast: Rhoden’s victory, a quote that doomed Doeden, and a Democrat’s ‘uphill battle’

Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden won the nomination to be his party’s candidate after finishing second in a four-way primary on June 2, and then defeating Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden in a July 28 runoff.
The general election will take place on Nov. 3. 

Rhoden is seeking to be elected governor for the first time. The former lieutenant governor assumed the governorship in January of 2025, when then-Gov. Kristi Noem took a job with President Donald Trump’s administration. 

Rhoden is running with his lieutenant governor, Tony Venhuizen. 

Democrat Dan Ahlers, a former lawmaker from Dell Rapids, has yet to announce a running mate, but told South Dakota Searchlight on Friday he expects to reveal his pick “very shortly.”

In a press release announcing Rhoden’s intention to participate in the two debates, Venhuizen preemptively challenged Ahlers’ running mate to a debate.

Ahlers, who said he’d accepted the invitations for the two debates, said his running mate is prepared to debate Venhuizen.