In a story from South Dakota Searchlight this afternoon, former Governor Kristi Noem was quite direct about not being a candidate for US Senate in 2028, despite the gossip in the NY Post:

“I’m not planning to run for Senate in 2028,” Noem said. “So, I’m planning to build a lot of fence, continue to help other countries build departments of homeland security and work with the State Department to help President Trump continue to be successful.”

She also expressed confidence in her ability to win if she decides to seek an elected office in the future.

“Oh, I wouldn’t take it off the table,” Noem said. “I may someday, but you know, we ran 13 races and won them all, so campaigns don’t scare me, but I’ve got a lot of other things to do, too.”

Read the entire story here.

 

Gov. Rhoden Accepts Two Debate Invitations
LG Venhuizen Challenges Democrat Nominee to a Debate

Pierre, SD – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced he will participate in two debates in the 2026 South Dakota gubernatorial general election and accepted the following two invitations: a debate at the South Dakota State Fair and a late September debate co-hosted by South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota Newswatch (SDPB-Newswatch).

“I served with Dan Ahlers in the Legislature, and we have very distinct visions for South Dakota’s future,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I’m a conservative; Ahlers is endorsed by Joe Biden and would bring Minnesota’s failed polices to our state. South Dakotans deserve an opportunity for a robust discussion about our very different policies and political philosophies, so I look forward to these debates.”

The South Dakota State Fair Debate will take place during the weekend of the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. The SDPB-Newswatch debate is scheduled for September 28 at 8 CT/7 MT from South Dakota Public Broadcasting studio in Sioux Falls.

Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen also challenged Dan Ahlers’ unnamed running mate to a Lieutenant Governor candidates’ debate.

”I look forward to a discussion with the Democratic candidate about our priorities and visions for South Dakota,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen.

The general election is November 3, 2026. Learn more about the Rhoden-Venhuizen Administration’s results to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free at RhodenResults.com.

The Rumble of Freedom
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
August 7, 2026

Hear that rumble? It’s been growing in pitch for a couple weeks now. Motorcycles are weaving their way across South Dakota from all directions, and they’re all heading to the same place: Sturgis!

The 86th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is kicking off, and visitors are coming to South Dakota by literally the hundreds of thousands. On their way they’ll stop in our small towns, eat in our restaurants, fill up at our gas stations, and they’ll meet countless smiling South Dakotans thanking them for being here and encouraging them to come back next year.

That’s what I love most about the Sturgis Rally. Not the bikes and the roaring engines – though those sure are cool. Not the leather – beef is my preferred cow byproduct. Not even the concerts and the celebrations – those are a little over the top for my rancher sensibilities. I appreciate how South Dakotans give their all to welcome these visitors and make them feel at home.

I’ve been going to the Sturgis Rally for years, and I always find myself bonding with folks over one thing: freedom. Bikers come to Sturgis to get away from their everyday lives, to escape the mundane, and to be free. And that’s one way that bikers and ranchers are a lot alike – we both treasure our freedoms jealously.

In South Dakota, our people make our freedoms possible. South Dakotans are a cut above because they don’t look to someone else to solve their problems – and they certainly don’t look to the government. They get their hands dirty, get to work, and expect the government to defend their freedom to do so. And that’s how I lead every day.

Our previous Governor used to say, “South Dakotans are happy. They’re happy because they’re free.” And that happiness beams off their faces to welcome visitors, including bikers making their way to the Rally.

In South Dakota, the tourism industry is our second biggest economic engine, though I’ll never miss an opportunity to brag that agriculture is seven times bigger! But tourism is no slouch. Last year, nearly 15 million visitors traveled to and within South Dakota. They spent over $5 billion, and that money goes to the pockets of South Dakota families and small businesses. In fact, because of those expenditures (and the taxes that they pay), the average South Dakota family saves over $1,100 a year in taxes!

And tourism isn’t just keeping taxes lower for all South Dakotans – it’s directly responsible for putting food on the table for many South Dakota families. Tourism supports 59,000 jobs across the state.

To keep South Dakota Open for Opportunity, we need to keep our tourism industry strong. And that means we must continue to be a state that is welcoming to our visitors. So, smile at the bikers when you pass them in the gas station parking lot. Wave at them when you pass them on some of our two-lane rural highways. Keep in mind that many visitors are not here for the first time – they’re coming back to South Dakota because they’ve fallen in love with our state, just like you have.

People come to South Dakota for our landscapes, our history, and our way of life. But they also come here because they feel something different. They feel the freedom, the authenticity, and the pride we have in our state. And if we do our jobs well, they’ll take that spirit of freedom home with them. Then they’ll come back next year with more friends in tow, making the rumble of freedom just a little louder.

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Growing Opportunity
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
August 7, 2026

BIG Update

Flyover country is often overlooked as a hub for financial innovation, even though Midwestern states like South Dakota are home to some of America’s leading businesses and industries. These companies play a vital role in driving the U.S. economy. As Chairman of the Digital Assets Subcommittee, I want to ensure technology and innovation create real value for Middle America.

This week, I spoke at the Flyover Fintech Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. I joined industry leaders from Cash App, Zelle, and Amazon to discuss the opportunities our region offers for innovation, investment, and business growth.

Johnson at the Flyover Fintech Conference

BIG Idea

I always look forward to thanking South Dakota’s farmers during Ag Appreciation Day at the Sioux Empire Fair. Our farmers work every day to feed and fuel the world, and I’ve worked hard in Congress to support their efforts.

The policies debated in Washington have a direct impact on the success of South Dakota agriculture. That’s why I’ve been a leading voice in the Farm Bill discussions, fighting to modernize agriculture policy and strengthen the programs our farmers and ranchers rely on. The Farm Bill has already passed the House with my support, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.

Johnson thanks farmers at Sioux Empire Fair

BIG News

I’ve been pushing to make the year-round sale of E15 permanent because it’s a win for consumers, farmers, and America’s energy future. This legislation has already passed the House with my support, and a version of the legislation is included in the Senate-proposed Farm Bill. Year-round E15 gives consumers more choices at the pump, often at a lower cost, while creating stronger demand for the corn grown by South Dakota producers.

American energy dominance starts with American agriculture. Our energy needs should be met by American cornfields—not Iranian oil fields. I’m hopeful the House and Senate will come together to make year-round E15 a reality, delivering greater energy security and new opportunities for South Dakota farmers.

Click here or the image above to read more

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The New York Post has a really gossipy article today speculating that former Trump consultant Corey Lewandowski may be trying to return from political exile by promoting a primary race against Senate Majority Leader John Thune, running former South Dakota Governor and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem against him in 2028:

“Corey is looking for ways to get back in good with President Trump” is how one Republican strategist put it — and when Lewandowski recently singled out Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), eyebrows went up around Washington and the Black Hills.

and..

“The American people will be looking at someone who has a proven history of winning an election in South Dakota to maybe challenge John Thune,” he added, a description that sources said put them in mind of Noem, who became the first woman elected governor of the state in 2018 after serving four terms in the House of Representatives.

and..

Meanwhile, Thune would likely be a formidable opponent for Noem. Several Republican strategists with ties to South Dakota told The Post they still see the majority leader in a strong position to win a fifth term in 2028.

The 65-year-old has a long history of public service, having served in the House of Representatives for six years before his election to the Senate in 2004.

Read the entire story here.

There was some rabble at the Republican convention attempting to poke at Senator Thune this last June, but even in this divisive time, they were quickly put down in their efforts. Which should give anyone planning to challenge him pause.  Two years is a long time, and I don’t think Team Thune is going to take anything for granted. Politically, between now and 2028, there’s a lot that’s going to change, including a race for a new president that’s going to begin.

While Trump is popular at the moment, continued cringe-worthy prices for gasoline and other economic factors may thin his margin of popularity, even here in Red-State South Dakota. So it might be a stretch at this point to claim that a Trumpy campaign against JT can succeed.  Ultimately, I don’t know that I see a challenge against John from Kristi, as much as we might see a re-run from a third-tier candidate like a Bruce Whalen or a Mark Mowry, who have attempted and failed before.

Let’s talk after the mid-terms.  I think they may say a lot.

The South Dakota Republican Party is announcing tonight that Bart Sample has been selected to replace center Tom Pischke on the fall ballot, after Pischke was arrested & charged with election fraud related offenses:

Sample had placed third in June in the House primary, and now faces Republican Bryan Breitling who is running as an independent in the November election.

Gov. Rhoden Formally Announces Tony Venhuizen as Running Mate

Pierre, SD – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden formally filed the paperwork to officially make Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen his running mate in the 2026 general election.

“Tony and I have been a team since day one – his status as my running mate has never been in question. We’ve accomplished a tremendous amount in our first 18 months in office, and Tony gets much of the credit for many of our biggest accomplishments,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “Now that we’ve officially secured the nomination, the time is appropriate to jump through the hoops so that he can remain South Dakota’s Lieutenant Governor.”

Lt. Governor Venhuizen has been serving as South Dakota’s 40th Lieutenant Governor since he was appointed by Governor Rhoden and unanimously confirmed by both chambers of the South Dakota Legislature in late January 2025.

“It is an honor to officially join Governor Rhoden’s ticket,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen. “We have a great team, and I am excited to continue to work for conservative, responsible government on behalf of the people of South Dakota.”

The announcement comes on the heels of Governor Rhoden’s historic runoff victory, which officially made him the Republican nominee for Governor.

Lt. Governor Venhuizen has led several key efforts for the Rhoden Venhuizen Administration, including serving as Chairman of the prison task force, the GRIT task force, and the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force. Before being confirmed as Lieutenant Governor, he served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives for District 13, and in that capacity he also served as Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

Venhuizen has previously served on the South Dakota Board of Regents and as Chief of Staff to both Governor Dennis Daugaard and Governor Kristi Noem.

Venhuizen and his wife, Sara, have been married for more than 20 years and have three school-age children: Henry, Elizabeth, and Madeleine. Sara is an electrical engineer and a distinguished alumna of South Dakota State University. The family attends Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Sioux Falls.

The general election is November 3, 2026. Learn more about the Rhoden-Venhuizen Administration’s results to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free at RhodenResults.com.

Lance Russell’s new best friend might be South Dakota Democrat Party Chair Shane Merrill. Or Julian Beaudion, depending on how you look at it. Because a lot just happened with the State Democrat Party.

South Dakota Democrats have withdrawn their threatened re-convention where they were said to be planning to nominate an opponent to Russell, the Republican nominee for the office of  Attorney General.  And as of this afternoon, with Democrats hitting the stop button on their planned re-convention, the path for Russell to be the next AG seems to be a wide open highway for the long time Fall River/Oglala County State’s Attorney.

It might have hinged on whether they could find a Democrat who wanted the office. But with Beaudion withdrawing his candidacy for US Senate, did Democrats take a pause because there were those who may have wanted to replace the fresh Julian vacancy on the ballot as well? That question came up in my mind, as there are plenty of Democrats who think Bengs leans more Libertarian than Democrat.

I had also heard that there were those gearing up for a lawsuit should they be allowed to re-convention.

With this momentary drama over, the ambiguity in state law that Democrats thought gave them a loophole to try again should now give legislators pause to seek clarity in the state laws surrounding convention.

Or they could do away with the convention nomination process altogether. That might work as well.

Either way, there should be no more ambiguity with who is running in 2026.  So, it’s go time.

Governor Rhoden Announces Appointments to South Dakota Defense Institute Board

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced the appointment of the remaining six voting members of the inaugural South Dakota Defense Institute (SDDI) Board of Directors. The additional members were appointed by the organization’s initial three-person Board of Directors.

“The South Dakota Defense Institute will help us keep South Dakota – and America – strong, safe, and free,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “This board brings together outstanding leaders who will help build on our strengths, creating new opportunities for South Dakota businesses, and position South Dakota for continued growth in the defense sector.”

Governor Rhoden previously established the South Dakota Defense Institute, which serves as a centralized hub for defense collaboration, connecting industry, government, and education to strengthen South Dakota’s contributions to the United States Defense Industrial Base. The nonprofit organization works to coordinate with federal partners, identify new opportunities, and develop programs that support South Dakota businesses, workforce development, and research.

The SDDI Board of Directors previously had three appointed members of leadership, including:

• Mike Bockorny, Chief Executive Officer, South Dakota Economic Development Professionals Association, Aberdeen (Board President);
• John Jorgensen, Vice President and Chief Cybersecurity Officer, Black Hills Energy, Rapid City (Board Vice President); and
• Kyle Chase, Chief Operating Officer, MMS Products, Sioux Falls (Board Secretary-Treasurer).

The six new appointments to the SDDI Board of Directors are:

• Scott Erickson, President, American Bank & Trust, Sioux Falls;
• Rob Hrabe, Chief Executive Officer, VRC Metal Systems, Rapid City;
• Jim Nelson, President, Aerostar, Sioux Falls;
• Robb Peterson, President, Glacial Lakes Rubber & Plastics, Watertown;
• Dr. Brian Tande, President, South Dakota Mines, Rapid City; and
• Jack Valentine, Chief Executive Officer, Elevate Rapid City, Rapid City.

The board also approved amendments to the organization’s bylaws to include an additional ex-officio, non-voting member. The ex officio, non-voting members are:

• Bill Even, Commissioner, Governor’s Office of Economic Development;
• Gen. Mark Morrell, Adjutant General, South Dakota National Guard; and
• Al Rieman, Chair, Ellsworth Development Authority Board.

You can learn more information about SDDI here.

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Senator Mike Rounds’ Weekly Round[s] Up: July 27-August 2, 2026

Welcome back to the Weekly Round[s] Up. Big news from the Senate this past week: we confirmed Jay Clayton to serve as the next Director of National Intelligence. I first met Jay in my role on the Banking committee when he was going through his confirmation to serve as SEC chairman. He is well-qualified for this position, and I look forward to working with him in this new role. We also took a procedural vote on our fifth “en bloc” batch of 74 nominees. With the passage of this batch, the Senate will have confirmed 95% of civilian nominations reported out of committee. More on this and the rest of my week in the Weekly Round[s] Up:

South Dakota Groups I Visited With: This past week I sat down with the DC summer interns from Representative Dusty Johnson’s office and Senator John Thune’s office. I enjoyed hearing about all of their unique experiences this summer working on Capitol Hill. They all have bright futures ahead of them and I thank them for all of their hard work serving the people of South Dakota.

Over the weekend, I visited Sturgis for the Annual Raising of the Flags ceremony. We placed 800 American flags in Freedom Field at the Buffalo Chip to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country. This event was an opportunity to pause and reflect on the lives and sacrifice of the men and women who never made it home. I attended 31 funerals for South Dakota servicemembers while I was serving as governor. I’ll never forget how different the American flag looks when it’s draped over a fallen hero. I appreciate everyone coming together this past weekend to remember freedom isn’t free. A special thanks to Rod Woodruff and his team for putting this together.

 Met with South Dakotans From: Aberdeen, Brookings, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Sturgis and Vermillion.

 Other Meetings: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President; Wayne Allan, Chief Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Officer for Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML); David Pemberton, CISA’s Region 8 Director; Bogdan Klich, Head of Mission in the Embassy of the Republic of Poland; Americans for Prosperity Leadership; Dr. Eric Green, Chief Medical Officer at Illumina; Neel Kashkari, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; and Hal Duncan, Nominee to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

On Wednesday morning, I joined my colleagues for our weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast where Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois shared his testimony. I also stayed for the National Prayer Breakfast Cabinet Council meeting.

Later that day, I had the opportunity to speak to interns from across Capitol Hill as part of our summer lecture series. They asked many thoughtful questions about a wide range of topics from my time working in insurance, to legislation I am currently working on. Appreciate all they do. We can’t do our work without them!

I participated in two other speaking events this past week including one at the American Council for Capital Formation’s Policy Forum and the other at the Milken Institute Business Dialogue Event.

 Hearings: I attended one hearing this past week with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, where I spoke with Scott Cameron, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Water and Science at the Department of the Interior about South Dakota water issues. Click here to watch.

 Briefings: I attended a classified briefing hosted by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other military leaders from the Department of War.

 Votes Taken: I voted 8 times this past week. As I mentioned, we confirmed Jay Clayton to be Director of National Intelligence and voted to advance our fifth en bloc batch of 74 nominees.

I also voted in favor of the Supporting Early-childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act, which passed the Senate 84 to 12. This bipartisan piece of legislation extends a tax break to early childhood educators.

Additionally, I voted against a resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from Iran and against overturning a rule designed to make child care more affordable and accessible for low-income families.

Steps Taken: 53,972 steps or 26.08 miles

My Staff in South Dakota Visited: Aberdeen, Alexandria, Box Elder, Flandreau, Mission, Rosebud and Plankinton.

Video of the Week: Thursday, July 30^th was National Intern Day! Our intern, Olivia from Milbank, South Dakota captured a day in her life while serving South Dakota as an intern on Capitol Hill. Click here to watch.

If you or someone you know is interested in an internship with my office, whether in South Dakota or Washington, D.C., please click here for more information.