Businessman Toby Doeden received a major boost in South Dakota's Republican gubernatorial runoff race after Turning Point Action announced its endorsement of his campaign.

Turning Point Action
Credit: Turning Point Action

The endorsement comes just one day after Doeden finished first in South Dakota's Republican primary, earning approximately 31 percent of the vote and advancing to a July runoff against incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden. Although Doeden fell short of the 35 percent needed to avoid a runoff, he outperformed a field that included Rhoden, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, and state House Speaker Jon Hansen.

Turning Point Action's backing is expected to provide Doeden with additional grassroots support, volunteer infrastructure, and national conservative attention as he seeks to defeat Rhoden. The organization, originally founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has become increasingly influential in Republican primaries, particularly among conservative and pro-Trump voters.

The endorsement follows another recent victory for a Turning Point Action-backed candidate in the Midwest. On Tuesday night, Zack Lahn won Iowa's Republican gubernatorial primary after receiving support from the organization, adding to its growing list of successful endorsements during the 2026 election cycle.

Doeden has campaigned as a political outsider, highlighting his business background and advocating policies that include reducing government spending, phasing out property taxes, strengthening border security, and getting tough on crime. His first-place finish in the primary (by a sizable margin), combined with support from a prominent conservative organization, sets him up well for the impending runoff.

The South Dakota race is now expected to become a contest between the Republican establishment and a candidate backed by grassroots conservative activists. With the state's strong Republican lean, the runoff will likely decide South Dakota's next governor.

As campaigning intensifies ahead of the July vote, Doeden and Rhoden will compete for supporters of the candidates eliminated in the first round, while conservatives across the country closely monitor whether Turning Point Action can help deliver another primary victory.