Larry Rhoden

Larry Rhoden is the 34th Governor of South Dakota, sworn in in January 2025 after Governor Kristi Noem resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. He is a fifth-generation South Dakota rancher who was born and raised on the family place near Union Center in Meade County, where he still lives and runs the operation started by his father.

Rhoden graduated from Sunshine Bible Academy in 1977 and served six years in the South Dakota National Guard (1978–1985). He was first elected to public office in 2000, serving in the South Dakota House of Representatives (2001–2009, including a term as House Majority Leader), the South Dakota Senate (2009–2015 and 2017–2019), and as the 39th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota (2019–2025) under Governor Noem. He also briefly served as interim Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture in 2020.

He and his wife Sandy have four sons and seven grandchildren. As governor, Rhoden has emphasized property tax reform, public safety and support for law enforcement, Second Amendment rights, and economic opportunity. He is now seeking a full term in the 2026 Republican primary.