PIERRE, S.D. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout) – Gov. Larry Rhoden wants six years in the Governor’s Mansion.
But the Union Center rancher’s 2026 ambitions hinge on whether he can raise enough money to take on a pair of deep-pocketed Republicans also vying for the party’s nomination in next June’s primary election.
That’s according to a letter Rhoden sent this week to top South Dakota GOP donors, confirming his desire to seek a full term as the state’s top executive while acknowledging a heavy reliance on a surge in campaign funding that will be necessary for the former lieutenant governor, longtime legislator and U.S. Senate candidate to wage a viable campaign.
“My wife, Sandy, and I have been getting a lot of encouragement, and we would like to continue to serve. But we need your help,” Rhoden wrote in a two-page letter obtained by The Dakota Scout Thursday.
Rhoden, who assumed the governorship in January when former Gov. Kristi Noem joined President Donald Trump’s cabinet, would join fellow Republicans House Speaker Jon Hansen, Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and Congressman Dusty Johnson in the race for South Dakota’s 2026 gubernatorial nomination.
Sent on non-state letterhead bearing a “Larry Rhoden: South Dakota Governor” graphic, the letter touts his pro-Second Amendment credentials, conservative ideology and accomplishments of his administration since taking office. Those included a narrowly passed property tax reform bill, adoption of a policy banning sanctuary cities and his anti-crime and illegal immigration public safety campaign, Operation: Prairie Thunder.
The 66-year-old also highlighted legislative support he mustered to replace the state’s aging penitentiary, his signing of a landowner rights measure that stripped carbon-sequestration pipeline companies of eminent domain powers, and his six years serving as Noem’s lieutenant governor.
“If you’d like to see me continue to serve as Governor, I would humbly ask you to consider a donation so I have enough money to run a competitive campaign,” Rhoden wrote.
While a Rhoden for Governor campaign committee and a supporting political action committee have already been formed, the governor has until now maintained publicly that he hasn’t made a final decision. The fundraising letter marks his clearest indication yet of a likely run.
Uncertainty remains over how much financial backing Rhoden can generate in a race that could set spending records in South Dakota politics. Both Doeden and Johnson are expected to have the ability to spend in excess of $10 million to get their names on the November ballot.
That’s not lost on Rhoden.
“Campaigns take money. Some of the other candidates have been raising money for years or have their own fortunes to draw from. I don’t have those advantages,” Rhoden wrote in the letter, sent the same week as the annual Governor’s Hunt, which kicks off Friday. The event draws business leaders from across South Dakota for a weekend of socials, entertainment and pheasant hunting.
A separate fundraiser for a prospective Rhoden campaign is also taking place in Sioux Falls on Friday, though the event is not affiliated with the Governor’s Hunt, which is organized by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.
The governor’s camp declined to comment when asked about the letter, which carried the disclaimer “Paid for by Rhoden for Governor,” or the level of financial support that would trigger a formal campaign announcement.
