Dan Ahlers & Steven McCleerey

Background

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.

Sources: South Dakota Searchlight, South Dakota Searchlight, The Ballot Brief

What the candidate has said

Statements are attributed to the linked sources.

• Rural investment

  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

• Public education

  The campaign supports recruiting and retaining teachers, strengthening rural schools, and expanding early-childhood education and childcare.

  Dan Ahlers for Governor — Issues

• Affordable housing

  The campaign says it would support local solutions to increase housing availability and reduce barriers to responsible housing development.

  Dan Ahlers for Governor — Issues