South Dakota’s general election debate season set to begin at State Fair

South Dakota’s 2026 general election debate season begins Saturday at the State Fair in Huron.

The South Dakota Farmers Union is hosting a debate between Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden and Democratic nominee for governor Dan Ahlers at 1 p.m. Central time on the fair’s Freedom Stage. A livestream of the debate is available on the South Dakota Farmers Union YouTube page.

South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota News Watch also plan to broadcast and livestream debates in the coming weeks, including a Rhoden-Ahlers debate at 8 p.m. Central on Sept. 28 from the SDPB studio in Sioux Falls.

SDPB and News Watch plan to host a U.S. Senate debate at 8 p.m. Central on Sept. 14 in Sioux Falls, but Republican incumbent Sen. Mike Rounds has not accepted an invite, according to SDPB. Independent candidate Brian Bengs will be given airtime regardless, SDPB said.

Rob Skjonsberg, a Rounds campaign spokesman, responded to Searchlight on Rounds’ behalf, saying Bengs “missed his shot to debate in the Democrat primary,” a reference to Bengs’ decision to run as an independent this time after a failed run for U.S. Senate as a Democrat in 2022. “Mike will focus on South Dakotans,” Skjonsberg added.

Bengs’ spokesperson Clara Bronikowski said that amid “rural hospitals closing,” “the cost of living soaring” and “another billion-dollar forever war,” it is “no wonder” Rounds doesn’t want to debate.

“I would have a hard time defending that record as well,” said the statement from Bronikowski.

SDPB and News Watch will host a U.S. House debate between the Republican nominee, Attorney General Marty Jackley, and Democratic nominee Nikki Gronli at 8 p.m. Central on Oct. 1 in Sioux Falls, with both candidates’ participation confirmed.

South Dakota Searchlight’s podcast, Searchlight Report, is featuring interviews with supporters and opponents of each of the four questions on the Nov. 3 ballot, beginning with Amendment L, which would raise the approval threshold for state constitutional amendments. Further ballot-question episodes will be released prior to the election.

Advance voting for the general election begins Sept. 18, and the voter registration deadline is Oct. 19.