SOUTH DAKOTA(Press Release)- A new Emerson College Polling/KELO-TV survey of the Republican primary election for Governor finds U.S. Congressman Dusty Johnson leading with 28% support, followed by businessman Toby Doeden at 18%, incumbent Governor Larry Rhoden at 17%, and State Rep. Jon Hansen at 14%, while 23% are undecided.

Job Approval rating for the following:

President Donald Trump: 55% Approval/40% Disapproval/5% Undecided

Governor Larry Rhoden: 35% Approval/30% Disapproval/34% Undecided

Senator John Thune: 34% Approval/52% Disapproval/14% Undecided

Senator Mike Rounds: 37% Approval/41% Disapproval/22% Undecided

Congressman Dusty Johnson: 35% Approval/46% Disapproval/19% Undecided

Top issues based on the polls: 35% Economy/13% Threats of Democracy/13% Housing/11% Education/9% Healthcare

Over 51% oppose data centers near their communites whiles 30% was in favor.

Emerson College South Dakota survey was conducted March 7-9, 2026. The sample of South Dakota likely voters, n=1,000, has a credibility interval, similar to a poll’s margin of error (MOE), of +/- 3 percentage points. The data sets were weighted by gender, age, and education based on U.S. Census parameters and voter file data.