Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden listens to Gov. Kristi Noem during her 2023 budget speech on the House floor of the South Dakota Capitol on Dec. 5, 2023. (Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight)
State lawmakers from across the political spectrum are expressing confidence in Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden as he prepares to succeed Gov. Kristi Noem possibly early next year. They also wonder who Rhoden might choose as his own lieutenant governor.
Meanwhile, Rhoden himself has said little publicly, other than a statement congratulating Noem on her recent appointment by President-elect Donald Trump as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The nomination won’t officially be sent to the U.S. Senate until Trump takes office in January, the same month the South Dakota Legislature will convene for its annual legislative session in Pierre.
Newly elected state Senator Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls, previously served in the Legislature and ran against Noem for governor in 2018.
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“I have always had a good working relationship with the lieutenant governor,” Smith said. “I believe this change creates new opportunities to work together for the betterment of South Dakota.”
House Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems, R-Canton, believes legislative priorities will remain consistent no matter who is governor.
“There won’t be much change in terms of the proposed bills,” she said. “I believe today’s legislators will strive to work with Lt. Governor Rhoden to pass legislation on behalf of the people of South Dakota.”
If Rhoden becomes governor, he will have to appoint a new lieutenant governor. And one of the lieutenant governor’s duties is to preside over the Senate.
Sen. Randy Deibert, R-Spearfish, said it will be important to have a lieutenant governor with significant legislative experience.
“If that’s going to happen, we need to get that appointment made as soon as possible so we can get started,” Deibert said. “With a significant number of new Senators and a fresh leadership team, strong guidance from an experienced Senate President will be critical.”
Rhoden has not said whether he will run for governor in 2026.
Sen. Casey Crabtree, R-Madison, served as president pro tempore of the Senate during the last term. He said Rhoden’s lieutenant governor will likely be someone who is familiar with the workings of the Senate, able to assist in governance, and who is strategic on the campaign trail for a possible 2026 gubernatorial election.
“The Rhoden team would probably want someone strong along the I-29 corridor since he already has West River data,” Crabtree said.
Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks during a rally with former President Donald Trump on Sept. 8, 2023, at The Monument in Rapid City. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)
The transition could lead to a change in style in the office of governor. Noem is nationally known and has spent a lot of time out of state campaigning for Trump and other Republican candidates. Crabtree highlighted Rhoden’s 16 years as a lawmaker, describing him as a leader who focused on “the nuts and bolts” of government.
Rhoden is a lifelong rancher and welder from rural Union Center in western South Dakota. He is married to Sandy Rhoden, and they have four sons and six grandchildren.
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