MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — South Dakota gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson on Friday unveiled a campaign proposal to invest $2 million in a new “Launch South Dakota” initiative focused on helping entrepreneurs start and grow businesses across the state. Johnson said the money would come from the state’s Future Fund if he is elected governor.
Johnson announced the plan in a campaign release from Mitchell, saying the initiative would shift more of the state’s economic development focus toward startups and locally grown businesses. According to the proposal, the plan would expand proof-of-concept grants, increase support for startup coaching and mentoring, boost the Giant Vision Business Plan Competition, and make greater use of federal small-business funding for venture development.
Johnson said the proposal is designed to invest in South Dakotans building businesses in their own communities rather than focusing only on large company recruitment. South Dakota News Watch reported the plan would increase entrepreneurship-related grants and expand support for sectors including software, technology and artificial intelligence.
The Future Fund is a state economic development fund used for research and economic development purposes, with oversight from state government and lawmakers. Johnson’s campaign said the $2 million proposal would be the largest one-time state commitment to entrepreneurship in South Dakota history.
Johnson, South Dakota’s lone member of the U.S. House, announced his run for governor in June 2025. The 2026 Republican primary could also include incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden and state Rep. Jon Hansen.