Rapid City elections · State
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Election day:
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Who is running
2 candidates on the ballot, from South Dakota Secretary of State. Photos come from each candidate's own campaign site.
Photo: Larry Rhoden & Tony Venhuizen campaign Larry Rhoden & Tony Venhuizen
Republican · Incumbent
Rhoden became governor in January 2025 after previously serving as lieutenant governor and is the Republican nominee for a full term in 2026. Venhuizen is the incumbent lieutenant governor and Rhoden’s running mate; he previously served in the South Dakota Legislature and as chief of staff to Governors Dennis Daugaard and Kristi Noem.
Source: The Ballot Brief
No stated positions found yet · Campaign site
Photo: Dan Ahlers & Steven McCleerey campaign Dan Ahlers & Steven McCleerey
Democratic
Ahlers is a businessman and former state legislator from Dell Rapids, and the Democratic nominee for governor. McCleerey is a Sisseton-area farmer, former state representative who served from 2015 to 2020, and vice president of the Coteau des Prairies Health Care Systems board; he is Ahlers’s 2026 running mate.
Source: South Dakota Searchlight, South Dakota Searchlight, The Ballot Brief
3 sourced statements · Campaign site
Where the candidates stand
Every candidate for Governor and Lieutenant Governor on each issue any of them has spoken on, in their own words or a close paraphrase, with the source linked. Checked . We do not score, rank or recommend anyone.
Where do the Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates in Rapid City stand on health care and retirement?
Larry Rhoden & Tony Venhuizen (Republican, incumbent)
No public statement found in our sources.
Dan Ahlers & Steven McCleerey (Democratic)
Ahlers’s campaign says it would invest in rural roads, bridges and broadband, support family farms, and improve access to rural health care. (Dan Ahlers for Governor — Issues)
Where do the Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates in Rapid City stand on schools and education?
Larry Rhoden & Tony Venhuizen (Republican, incumbent)
No public statement found in our sources.
Dan Ahlers & Steven McCleerey (Democratic)
The campaign supports recruiting and retaining teachers, strengthening rural schools, and expanding early-childhood education and childcare. (Dan Ahlers for Governor — Issues)
Where do the Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates in Rapid City stand on housing?
Larry Rhoden & Tony Venhuizen (Republican, incumbent)
No public statement found in our sources.
Dan Ahlers & Steven McCleerey (Democratic)
The campaign says it would support local solutions to increase housing availability and reduce barriers to responsible housing development. (Dan Ahlers for Governor — Issues)
“No public statement found” means we did not find one, not that the candidate has no view. If a position is missing or wrong, tell us.
More on the Rapid City ballot
Secretary of StateHeather Baxter, Tamara J. Lesnar, Terrence Davis
Attorney GeneralLance Russell- State AuditorCatherine Barranco, Tom Cool
State TreasurerMelissa Hull, Margaret Kuipers
Commissioner of School and Public LandsBrock Greenfield, Raeann Mettler
Public Utilities CommissionerDon Haggar, Frank Kloucek
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