South Dakota Republicans Launch Campaign Bus Tour

Three GOP candidates toured the Black Hills region to meet with constituents and introduce state party nominees.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Elections

A modern campaign bus parked on a rural, winding road surrounded by pine trees and granite mountain peaks in South Dakota. — South Dakota Republican candidates Larry Rhoden, Mike Rounds, and Marty Jackley are traveling across the state to boost their campaign efforts. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Republican candidates Larry Rhoden, Mike Rounds, and Marty Jackley kicked off a multi-day campaign bus tour across South Dakota. The group visited multiple cities in the Black Hills region to speak with voters and introduce nominees for the state treasurer and Public Utilities Commission positions.

Why it matters

The candidates are traveling together to boost their individual electoral efforts while presenting a unified Republican ticket to the public. By visiting various communities, they aim to engage directly with constituents and answer questions regarding their respective races.

The tour candidates have maintained a professional collaboration for 20 months. They officially introduced Republican nominees for state treasurer and the Public Utilities Commission during their initial stops.

The players

Larry Rhoden

He is a Republican candidate campaigning for office in South Dakota.

Mike Rounds

He is a Republican candidate currently seeking election support as part of the statewide tour.

Marty Jackley

He is the Republican candidate running for South Dakota's at-large congressional district.

The details

At each stop, including events at the Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, the candidates provided remarks to attendees and fielded questions. The team is campaigning for their own elections as well as supporting one another.

October 27, 2026: Candidates kicked off the campaign bus tour in the Black Hills.
October 27, 2026: The team visited Custer, Rapid City, Spearfish, and Sturgis.
October 28, 2026: The tour is scheduled to reach Wall and Pierre.
October 29, 2026: The candidates plan to visit Oacoma and Mitchell.
October 30, 2026: The tour concludes with stops in Sioux Falls, Watertown, Madison, and Brookings.

Political Context

The campaign tour highlights the coordinated party strategy for the 2026 race in South Dakota's at-large congressional district. Opposition figures and relevant advocacy groups often contest these unified ticket tours by focusing on the specific legislative records of individual candidates.

Voters at the scheduled stops in Wall, Pierre, Oacoma, Mitchell, Sioux Falls, Watertown, Madison, and Brookings will have the opportunity to engage directly with the candidates. This tour provides citizens a chance to question the party nominees before the upcoming election.

The takeaway

Unified bus tours serve as a strategic tool for candidates to maximize their reach across geographically diverse regions like the Black Hills and the eastern part of the state. Voters can monitor future tour dates to determine when they might have the opportunity to speak with the candidates in their own communities.