Dan Ahlers Eyes November Governor Race After Larry Rhoden Wins Tuesday Runoff

Q: Which central and northwestern counties hold the secret to capturing the governor's mansion in the upcoming November matchup?

The pivotal central and northwestern counties are **Meade, Lawrence and Hughes**. Those counties were identified in coverage of Larry Rhoden’s rise in the runoff as the places where he built his strongest base. Rhoden secured key leads there in the primary and then expanded that strength in the runoff, especially in **Hughes County**, which includes Pierre, the state capital, and in **Meade** and **Lawrence** in western South Dakota. That said, they are not the only counties that matter in a statewide race. Broader reporting pointed to **Minnehaha County** and **Pennington County** as major population centers that often shape statewide outcomes, with **Lincoln County** also viewed as an important battleground because of its size and growth. So if the question is which **central and northwestern counties** are most central to the race for the governor’s office in November, the answer is **Meade, Lawrence and Hughes counties**.

3 articles · Updated · Dakota News Now · Jul 29

Larry Rhoden won South Dakota's Tuesday gubernatorial runoff shortly after polls closed, setting up a November matchup with Democratic nominee and former state legislator Dan Ahlers.
Dan Ahlers told Dakota News Now after the race was called that he is now focused on facing Rhoden in the general election and on the next steps for his campaign.
The latest development shifts the race from the runoff phase to a head-to-head contest between the incumbent governor and the Democratic challenger in November.