Dusty Johnson-Dusty and I are both Pierre natives. I have relatives who know him well, and it’s clear he’s had one thing on his mind his entire life: politics. He was the dictionary definition of a “Teenage Republican.” You have to hand it to him—he did it on his own. His parents were low-income former hippies whom I also knew. However, I’m convinced Dusty sold his soul by hitching his wagon to the Rounds and Daugaard administrations and working the capitol halls in Pierre since high school. He really lost me when he voted to keep Liz Cheney in leadership and broke ranks with the GOP to support the January 6th commission. He also voted to block the national emergency declaration at the border. On a personal level, I called his office six times during the pandemic regarding my PPP loan and never received a response. I’m not a needy person and had never reached out to a representative before, but that lack of communication speaks volumes. Dusty is for Dusty; that much is clear to anyone watching.
Larry Rhoden-I don’t know Larry well, but the one time we met at a private function, we had a short conversation. I told him I liked what he was doing as Governor, but I wasn’t a fan of the Governor he worked for. He took it in stride, laughed, shook my hand, and said, “I hope I can get your vote.” That olive branch meant a lot to me. I’ve always respected a hardworking cowboy. Larry might not be the most polished public speaker, but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be governor—you need to know how to work with people. I’m not sure Larry will bring new ideas to the office like a Bill Janklow did, but I’m quite sure he won’t go off the rail and put himself in spotlight like his predecessor did.
Jon Hansen-I don’t know Jon personally, but when Dusty failed to return my calls about our PPP loan, my attorney, Russ Janklow, suggested I call my state representative. I found out it was Jon Hansen and called his cell several times. He eventually called me back in the middle of a weekday, and I could hear kids crying in the background. He promised to look into the situation but then went silent. When he finally answered his cell again weeks later—again during the workday with kids in the background—he did eventually get the ball rolling. Jon is an attorney by trade, but I suspect he’s not a particularly busy one; successful lawyers are rarely home mid-afternoon on a workday with the kids. I support his conservative stance on social issues and I’m most aligned with him on these issues compared to the others, but it’s clear Jon is a career politician.
Toby Doeden-As a media consultant, I can tell you Toby has been calculating this run for years. His podcast was well-produced, and he’s been attacking Dusty from the start, trying to cast himself as the Trump-style outsider. However, his claims of creating “thousands and thousands” of jobs in South Dakota feel like an overstatement; I’d love to see that breakdown. Toby comes across as a blowhard. Most successful business people I know don’t brag; they let their work speak for itself. I’ve heard he isn’t well-liked in Aberdeen, but then again, even Jesus wasn’t respected in his hometown, so I don’t give that much weight. Toby is the only true outsider in the race, and as a lifelong Republican from Pierre, I know the capital needs a shake-up. I’m just not sure a car salesman is the right man for the job—but maybe.
