It appears that the number of candidates running for the sole congressional seat in South Dakota is so large that a primary election will be needed in June 2026.
For the first time in 12 years, South Dakota Democrats are fielding multiple candidates for the congressional seat.
Former U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development director Nikki Gronli formally announced her Democratic campaign in Sioux Falls on Wednesday. In August, Democrat Billy Mawhiney also announced his candidacy.
The current South Dakota Congressman is Republican Dusty Johnson, who is not running for re-election in 2026.
Republican state Attorney General Marty Jackley is running for the seat. Republican state Senator Casey Crabtree has filed campaign paperwork, but has not officially announced his candidacy, according to South Dakota Public Media.
Gronli’s announcement comes months after she participated in several town halls organized by the South Dakota Democratic Party around the state. Those sessions were part of the party’s response to a lack of town hall participation by South Dakota’s current federal Republican officeholders.
