Argus Leader, Rapid City Journal Team Up for Election
The two South Dakota newspapers will split coverage of nine state and national races and four ballot issues on Election Night, Nov. 3, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Do you trust local newspapers to cover your community fairly?
The Sioux Falls Argus Leader and Rapid City Journal will combine forces for Election Night coverage beginning Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with reporters at each publication splitting coverage of nine state and national races and four ballot issues. The joint effort comes one month after Lee Enterprises acquired the two newspapers, which had previously been under separate corporate ownership.
Why it matters
The newspapers are joining forces amid shortages in resources, funding, and staff across the industry. Gubernatorial candidate watch parties more than 300 miles apart mean a single outlet could not easily cover statewide results in real time for South Dakota readers.
The Argus Leader will cover the U.S. Senate, State Auditor, Public Utilities Commissioner, Attorney General, and Constitutional Amendments I and L, while the Rapid City Journal covers U.S. Representative, State Secretary, State Treasurer, School and Public Lands Commissioner, and Constitutional Amendments J and K. Coverage begins Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The players
Lee Enterprises
Lee Enterprises is a newspaper publishing company that acquired South Dakota's two largest newspapers, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader and Rapid City Journal.
Larry Rhoden
Larry Rhoden is the Republican governor of South Dakota who is expected to be at the Rapid City watch party on Election Night.
Dan Ahlers
Dan Ahlers is the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in South Dakota who is confirmed to be at the Sioux Falls watch party on Election Night.
The details
Reporters at each publication will split Election Night coverage through fast updates, voter interviews at polling centers, and results-based recaps. Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden is expected to be in Rapid City, while Democratic candidate Dan Ahlers is confirmed to be in Sioux Falls.
Timeline
Nov. 3, 2026: Election Night coverage begins across both publications.
Nov. 12-14, 2026: State football championships are held at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, also covered by the joint team.
Season Trajectory
The joint coverage follows a pattern of chain-owned regional newspapers pooling staff after Lee Enterprises consolidated the state's two largest dailies. It reflects how newsroom resource shortages are pushing previously competing outlets toward shared statewide election reporting.
Readers across South Dakota can follow results for the U.S. Senate, governor, and four ballot issues through whichever publication covers each race, without needing to read both papers. The split means residents in Sioux Falls and Rapid City will see detailed reporting on different races from each city's paper.
The takeaway
Election Night coverage will be shared between the Argus Leader and Rapid City Journal, so readers who want full statewide results will need to check both publications. The combined effort is a practical response to resource strain in local newsrooms.
What happens next
Coverage begins Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with Election Night reporting from both newspapers.
Further reading
For more on the candidates and races being covered, see Elections in South Dakota politics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Argus Leader.
Live Poll
Do you trust local newspapers to cover your community fairly?
