logo
Dusty Johnson wants to fix SD's property taxes, public health crisis — and the GOP divide

Dusty Johnson wants to fix SD's property taxes, public health crisis — and the GOP divide

Yahoo01-07-2025
With his family by his side, and his old boss Dennis Daugaard sitting across from him, Dusty Johnson could finally get this off his chest: He's entering the contest for South Dakota's governor job.
Johnson, currently South Dakota's lone U.S. r asepresentative, announced the launch of his campaign to run for the state's gubernatorial position June 30 at a Steel District hotel in Sioux Falls.
Johnson is now the third South Dakota Republican to officially enter the 2026 race and the fifth entrant overall.
In a conference room filled with at least a hundred Dusty supporters, several state Republican figures preceded Johnson with an endorsement speech.
Among the crowd, several other state and local leaders turned out in support of Johnson. Reps. Brian Mulder Drew Peterson, Tim Reisch, and Kevin Van Diepen appeared at the event, as did Joe Kippley, Minnehaha County commissioner and public health director for the City of Sioux Falls.
State Reps. Taylor Rehfeldt, R-Sioux Falls, and Will Mortenson, R-Ft. Pierre, took to the podium at the center of the hall, each heralding the congressman as a "visionary leader" and a man with "integrity."
"We need a leader who isn't afraid of hard work, a leader who will stand firm in their own convictions and still listen," Rehfeldt said. "A leader who doesn't chase headlines but chases results. That, my friends, is Dusty Johnson."
Johnson's largest endorsement of the day came from one of the state's previous leaders, former Gov. Dennis Daugaard, whom Johnson served as chief of staff.
Daugaard extolled Johnson's problem solving attitude, saying his former executive assistant brings a "kind of common sense conservatism."
"As my chief of staff, Dusty helped me cut $127 million from our state budget to get it back in balance, but without raising taxes and without cutting vital services," Daugaard said. "I've always believed that leadership isn't about attention seeking or about personal achievement or ladder climbing. It's about work and results. That's how I tried to lead as your governor, and I can tell you, that's exactly how Dusty Johnson leads."
After Daugaard, Johnson's sons, Ben, Max and Owen stepped up to the mic, and, after talking up their father, introduced Dusty Johnson, who entered from a room behind the main stage.
Jacquelyn Johnson, Dusty Johnson's wife, entered the hall first, with the congressman just behind her.
Johnson hugged his sons before turning to the applauding crowd. Joined by his loved ones, Johnson talked about an important decision he made "23 years ago" — moving back home to South Dakota.
"We knew this was a special place filled with great people and strong values," Johnson said.
Johnson laid out his executive priorities as governor, saying he would focus on property taxes, public health and affordable education.
Of property taxes, Johnson said he would aim to cut property taxes, "not as some have proposed, but responsibly, protecting those core services, roads, bridges, cops, schools."
In a media gaggle following his announcement, Johnson elaborated on his property tax designs, which would be focused on raising state and local revenues to offset tax reductions.
"Over the course of the last 10 years, I would bet on average that South Dakota has $70 million or $80 million of new revenue every single year. Our economy grows when that happens, the sales tax revenues grow," Johnson said. "Last quarter, our state grew at 0%. At the same time, our country grew 3.2% annualized. South Dakota is capable of more than that. We know that, over the last 30 years, we on average have grown a lot more than that. If we can increase that rate of growth, we're going to increase the revenues that allow us to invest in those two top priorities."
Public health is also an area Johnson said he is looking to lead on, with a hope to encourage "safer communities" by focusing on drugs and addiction and creating "new drug interdiction teams."
In this vein, Johnson also said he desired "smarter treatment" and training inside the walls of South Dakota's various prisons.
A Project Prison Reset committee, launched by Gov. Larry Rhoden and actively led by Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, is currently crafting a proposal for the full Legislature to decide where a new men's prison should be built in South Dakota, with the hope that a new facility would offset severe overcrowding and improve safety at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls and other facilities.
So far, the committee has only given the thumbs-up to two out of 14 proposed sites for a new men's prison — one in Mitchell, and the other near Worthing — and is actively considering potential expansion of the state's current facilities.
The Argus Leader asked Johnson whether the state should expand its existing prison infrastructure or build new prisons.
Johnson did not directly opine one way or the other, instead preferring to leave the process in the hands of the prison committee.
But the congressman added he hoped the prison board would make a decision "for the long-term rather than engage in a Band-Aid solution."
Rhoden released a May 15 consultant report that suggested the state should add 3,264 prison beds across multiple facilities across a 10-year period, costing upwards of $2.1 billion.
Asked if he supported the plan, which would cover the state's prison population through 2036, Johnson handwaved the report, saying a "variety of consultants in this state and elsewhere believe there are a number of good, long-term plans."
"It's not my job today to, you know, to determine which of those is best. But Gov. Rhoden has put together a good committee," Johnson said. "They are doing their work. It's not my job to tell them where to end up. I just hope they make a good long term decision."
Johnson also noted his education platform. He told his supporters he planned to make college and tech school more affordable.
"It means finding those programs and research that really moves South Dakota forward," Johnson said. "For K-12, it means being relentless about student achievement, setting real goals, using real data, and not being afraid to lead."
So far, two other Republican candidates, South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman and conservative activist Toby Doeden, have announced their campaigns for the governor's seat.
Hansen and Doeden offer more conservative options compared with the establishment or traditional Republicans.
Hansen played a key role in defeating Amendment G, a proposed state amendment that would have enshrined the right to an abortion into the South Dakota Constitution. Hansen and his running mate, Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems, also worked to prevent carbon dioxide pipeline developers like Summit Carbon Solutions from constructing large-scale sequestration lines through the Mount Rushmore State.
Doeden also shifted the make-up of the state Legislature by funding the election campaigns of populist, property rights-oriented Republicans, which aided other conservatives of the same stripe in taking top legislative positions and committee chair assignments.
Johnson pointed to his experience in a "rowdy and colorful Republican U.S. House," saying he worked with conservatives of various flavors on national border security, spending cuts and welfare reform.
Asked by the Argus Leader how he intended to garner support from the state's populist and property rights Republicans, some of whom support Hansen and Doeden, Johnson said he's worked as an "emissary" to the national Freedom Caucus, a highly conservative bloc.
"I've got to tell you, the Freedom Caucus in the Republican House is pretty conservative. And I worked with those guys and we get good things done together every Tuesday morning," Johnson said. "When I'm in D.C., I'm having breakfast with key Freedom Caucus leaders. They trust me that they know that I'm somebody who can work with them to deliver conservative victories. That's what we're going to build in South Dakota."
But for supporters like Mortenson, who said Johnson's announcement occasion was something he had been waiting for going on "15 years," the gap between the MAGA-esque Doeden and the strictly conservative Hansen is something worth celebrating.
"The other folks running for governor would tell you our state is broken. They'd say we're … headed down the wrong track. They want to defund our schools. That's their words, that's their bills, not mine. They want to stifle agriculture. They want government to regulate everything from corrals to crayons," Mortenson said. "Theirs is a dangerous map that leads to a dark place for South Dakota."
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Dusty Johnson's governor bid welcomed by traditional Republicans
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gov. Kathy Hochul open to redistricting New York amid Trump push for Republican seats
Gov. Kathy Hochul open to redistricting New York amid Trump push for Republican seats

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Gov. Kathy Hochul open to redistricting New York amid Trump push for Republican seats

NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday said she's open to congressional redistricting in New York to boost Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections amid President Trump's push to redraw red states like Texas to help Republicans keep control of the House. With Trump aiming to squeeze at least five more GOP seats in the Lone Star State, Hochul said Democrats should be open to hitting back by redrawing New York's 26 districts to benefit Team Blue. 'All's fair in love and war' Hochul said during an unrelated event in her home town of Buffalo. 'If there's other states violating the rules and are trying to give themselves an advantage, all I'll say is, I'm going to look at it closely.' Hochul said she's determined to respond in kind if Republicans game the system in red states in an effort to cling to power in what is looming as a tough political climate in 2026. 'I'm not surprised that they're trying to break the rules to get an advantage,' Hochul added. 'But that's undemocratic, and not only are we calling them out, we're also going to see what our options are.' Hochul said she would confer with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader, about a path forward on redistricting in New York, where Democrats now hold 19 seats and Republicans have seven. Republicans hold the House by a slim seven-vote margin, and history says parties of the sitting president usually lose more seats than that in a midterm after winning election. Jeffries said this week that Democrats in New York and other blue states should consider all options if Trump and Republicans choose the political nuclear option by ripping up the Texas map in the middle of the decade. 'Every single state is going to have to do the same thing because Republicans are desperate,' Jeffries told reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday. Redistricting in New York, California and several other Democratic states would be a significantly tougher lift legally and maybe politically than in Texas or other red states. New York's constitution only allows for redistricting to take place once a decade and it's unclear how or if Democrats could get around that provision. The liberal-led state's highest court would have to weigh in on any effort to redraw the districts. If Democrats could get over legal hurdles, they could potentially use their supermajorities in the state Assembly and Senate to bulldoze the suggestions of a bipartisan, independent redistricting committee. Election analysts believe New York maps could be tweaked to give Democrats the upper hand in at least 22 or 23 districts, a gain of three or four seats compared to the current map. The most obvious tweaks would involve eliminating Rep. Nicole Malliotakis' edge in her Staten Island-based district by including deep-blue parts of Brooklyn; redrawing Long Island to give Democrats an advantage in Rep. Nick LaLota's East End district; and rejiggering the Westchester County-based swing district represented by Rep. Mike Lawler to make it impossible for him to win reelection. A creative redrawing of far upstate districts could solidify Rep. Josh Riley's hold on his battleground NY-19 district in the Catskills and perhaps give Democrats a chance to oust Rep. Claudia Tenney by packing Republicans into neighboring red districts. Texas Republicans, who control the entire state government as well as a conservative-dominated court system, are holding a special legislative session to consider re-divvying up the state's 38 districts, which are now split 25-12 in favor of Republicans, with one deep-blue Houston seat vacant. The GOP is also hoping to redraw Ohio to pick up three seats and have discussed moves to redraw maps in Indiana and Missouri too. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is vowing to hit back by seeking to divide up the heavily Democratic Golden State to win a handful more seats. _____

Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba to remain New Jersey prosecutor despite court decision
Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba to remain New Jersey prosecutor despite court decision

USA Today

time35 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba to remain New Jersey prosecutor despite court decision

Her tenure thus far has been marked by partisan statements and bringing cases against Democrats. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, Alina Habba, said on Thursday that she would seek to remain as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey despite a judicial decision this week not to extend her appointment. Habba's statement marked the latest challenge by the Trump administration to oversight by federal courts. Habba, who has no previous experience as a prosecutor, wrote on X that she was now the acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey. The Justice Department used a series of procedural maneuvers to attempt to circumvent the Tuesday decision by the U.S. District Court in New Jersey and keep her in the post, a department spokesperson told Reuters. "I don't cower to pressure," Habba wrote on X. "I don't answer to politics." Judges on the U.S. District Court in New Jersey declined to extend Habba's tenure as interim U.S. attorney, instead naming the second-highest ranking official in the office, Desiree Grace, as her replacement. But hours later Attorney General Pam Bondi said Grace had been removed, accusing the judges of having political motivations and seeking to thwart Trump's authority. U.S. law allows federal district courts to intervene if an interim U.S. attorney's 120-day term expires and courts have regularly invoked that authority. Grace, in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, said she was 'prepared to follow' the court's order and 'begin to serve in accordance with the law.' It was not immediately clear if either Grace or the District Court judges would attempt to challenge the maneuvers. Neither could immediately be reached for comment. Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, in Virginia, said the Trump administration appeared to have the legal authority for its moves, but they could further strain its relationship with federal courts. "It does undermine that authority from Congress," Tobias said, referring to courts' role in the process. "But that doesn't trouble this White House or this Justice Department." The judiciary has emerged as one of the few checks on Trump's aggressive use of presidential power in his second term. White House officials have accused judges who have blocked parts of Trump's agenda they have deemed unlawful of exceeding their authority and taking part in a 'judicial coup.' Habba has brought two criminal cases against Democratic officials during her time in office and drew criticism after saying she hoped to use her role to aid Republicans in New Jersey.

At Redistricting Hearing, Texas Democrats Attack Silent Republicans
At Redistricting Hearing, Texas Democrats Attack Silent Republicans

New York Times

time36 minutes ago

  • New York Times

At Redistricting Hearing, Texas Democrats Attack Silent Republicans

Scores of people from across Texas packed into the State Capitol in Austin on Thursday to testify against a Republican plan, pushed by President Trump, to redraw congressional districts and protect the party's slender majority in the U.S. House. The public hearing, before a 21-member select committee of the Texas House on redistricting, was the first since Gov. Greg Abbott directed state lawmakers to redraw congressional lines during a 30-day special session of the Legislature. No maps with new district lines have been publicly proposed yet by Republican leaders in the Legislature, and none were expected before the initial public hearings. Two more such hearings are set for Houston on Saturday and the Dallas area next Tuesday. So those testifying on Thursday were left to comment on the idea of a rare mid-decade redistricting, and Mr. Trump's stated wish that Texas Republicans should produce maps that create five additional Republican seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The state has 38 congressional seats, 25 of which are currently held by Republicans. 'I am dismayed that the legislative session is not focused, first and foremost, on flood relief,' said Robin Peeples, a software designer from Temple, Texas. She added that redistricting 'should not be shoved through so quickly at a time when we're dealing with a disaster in the state.' State Representative Jon Rosenthal, the top Democrat on the committee, responded, 'I think you are the most important person we need to listen to.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store