SD-AL: Dusty Johnson (R) - Entire stateSolid Republican. South Dakota is about as Republican as states come these days, having opted for former President Donald Trump by 26 points in 2020. But Johnson, its lone at-large representative, is far from a right-wing firebrand. Currently captain of the GOP’s pragmatic Main Street Caucus, Johnson has emerged as one of his conference’s most vocal critics of election denialism and the Freedom Caucus’ hardline negotiating tactics. Though that policy-oriented moderation has helped his star rise on Capitol Hill, it’s also soiled his image among many MAGA devotees back home on the prairie.
Insiders agree that there is genuine hunger for a primary challenge among conservative activists in South Dakota, especially after Johnson limped to a 59%-41% primary victory over state Rep. Taffy Howard in 2022. Howard’s campaign centered on allegations that “widespread fraud” tainted the 2020 election and focused on hitting Johnson for his votes to certify its results and establish a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack. Her decent showing is particularly troubling for Johnson considering he outspent her $1.2 million
Subscribe Today
Our subscribers have first access to individual race pages for each House, Senate and Governors race, which will include race ratings (each race is rated on a seven-point scale) and a narrative analysis pertaining to that race.