The two major party nominees seeking the South Dakota governor position squared off Monday in a debate hosted by South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota News Watch.
Republican Larry Rhoden and Democrat Dan Ahlers discussed education, health care, affordability, property taxes, and more, five weeks before the November 3 election.
Rhoden, who is the incumbent, linked property taxes as a way to improve affordability for South Dakotans. He pointed to two property tax relief measures he supported in the 2026 legislative session.
Ahlers described key needs as seeing a child tax credit that could help people be better able to afford child care.
Both Ahlers and Rhoden said the state is not doing enough to address South Dakota's water infrastructure needs. Ahlers emphasized the need for more water conservation, and better oversight of water pollution.
Rhoden cited an initiative to look at ways state government can be more responsive, with the Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force that he created. One of the governor’s goals for that task force is to more effectively prevent cyber attacks.
There will be another tri-state high profile debate on Wednesday, when Republican Chris McGowan and Democrat Dave Dawson vie in that event for the Iowa 4th Congressional District position in Sioux City.
