PIERRE, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) (Article Courtesy of South Dakota News Watch)
South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune has the largest political war chest of any U.S. senator, topping the $20 million mark even though he’s not up for re-election until 2028.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, the state’s lone congressman, ranks 18th in the U.S. House of Representatives with nearly $5 million, despite being heavily favored in his 2024 race against Democratic challenger Sheryl Johnson.
These fundraising efforts reveal ambitions beyond the Nov. 5 election, as Thune pursues the job of Republican Senate leader in Washington and Johnson positions himself to run for South Dakota governor in 2026.
There will also be a U.S. Senate election that year because Sen. Mike Rounds’ term is up, and Johnson’s exit would open the U.S. House seat. That makes 2026 potentially one of the most contested and consequential cycles in recent state history.
Despite being a lame-duck governor, whose term expires in 2026, Kristi Noem still had more than $2 million in her campaign committee and nearly $1 million in her leadership PAC as of the last reporting date. As one political insider put it, “when the music stops, (Noem) is going to have to find a chair.” The most logical campaign path would be seeking Rounds’ Senate seat in 2026.
The next couple of years will be interesting ones in South Dakota politics.