{"id":171,"date":"2026-06-03T22:41:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=171"},"modified":"2026-06-03T22:41:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T22:41:30","slug":"another-one-bites-the-dust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=171","title":{"rendered":"Another one bites the dust"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson was the early favorite in the state\u2019s gubernatorial race, but in the run-up to Tuesday\u2019s primary, a poll found his edge eroding.<\/p>\n

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The four-term Republican wound up finishing third, behind Gov. Larry Rhoden, who filled the vacancy left by former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and businessman Toby Doeden, a self-proclaimed \u201ctotal political outsider who\u2019s tired of the government\u2019s failure to deliver on its promises.\u201d Both Rhoden and Doeden secured a place on the July 28 runoff ballot.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been the honor of my lifetime to represent South Dakota in Congress these past eight years,\u201d Johnson said in a statement. \u201cWhile I am disappointed in the outcome, I am committed to helping Republican candidates get elected in November.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson isn\u2019t the only House Republican from a safe red district who has stumbled in his quest to win higher office this cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Iowa Tuesday, Rep. Randy Feenstra lost the gubernatorial primary to farmer Zach Lahn, a political outsider who ran on a \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d platform and an \u201cIowa first\u201d approach to governing. Even an 11th-hour endorsement from President Donald Trump wasn\u2019t enough to pull Feenstra across the finish line.<\/p>\n

Other GOP House members to lose statewide runs this year include Texas conservative firebrand Chip Roy, who fell short in his bid for state attorney general; Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished third in the Lone Star State\u2019s Senate primary; and Georgia Rep. Earl L. \u201cBuddy\u201d Carter, who failed to qualify for that state\u2019s Senate runoff election.<\/p>\n

More could soon join the list: In South Carolina\u2019s gubernatorial race, polls suggest Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace narrowly trail Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, though the race remains tight.<\/p>\n

Democratic House members from safe blue districts have also been tripped up in their runs for higher offices, including Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly, who lost their bids for Senate in Illinois, and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who was defeated in the Senate primary in Texas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been rough sledding for members of Congress trying for higher office,\u2019\u2019 said Roll Call elections analyst Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections. While being in Congress might not be a liability in every case, \u201cyou don\u2019t get any extra credit\u201d for it either, he added.<\/p>\n

Not every Republican House member saw their ambitions for higher office evaporate. While Carter failed to make the June 16 runoff, his colleague in the House Republican Conference, Rep. Mike Collins, qualified. He\u2019ll face former football coach Derek Dooley for the chance to compete against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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In Kentucky, Rep. Andy Barr won last week\u2019s primary for the open Senate seat in the Bluegrass State, vanquishing former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each race had its unique dynamics that also helped shape the results. For instance, Feenstra opted to skip debates with Lahn and the other Republicans on the primary ballot. And Johnson\u2019s opponents questioned his loyalty to Trump and branded him a RINO (Republican in Name Only).<\/p>\n

But being a member of Congress can be a liability at a time when trust in the institution is low, the House is seen as dysfunctional and voters, particularly in Republican primaries, crave outsiders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s this sort of idea that once you go to Washington, D.C., you become this Washington, D.C. [insider] who suddenly doesn\u2019t know anything about the internal dynamics of the state anymore,\u201d said Julia Marin Hellwege, a professor at the University of South Dakota. \u201cAnd as voters on the ground have pointed out \u2026 a D.C. insider ultimately means the South Dakota outsider.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson is a low-profile member who prefers deep-dives into agriculture policy to cable news hits. During his eight years in the House, he sought to cast himself as a bridge-builder. In his third term, he was selected to lead the Main Street Caucus, a business friendly, center-right group that became more active under his leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur caucus hates [fiscal] cliffs, we hate dumpster fires, we hate chaos,\u201d he once said. \u201cWe aim to be the grown-ups in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Johnson is South Dakota\u2019s at-large member of Congress, representing the entire state, the other House members seeking a Senate seat or the governor\u2019s office are often largely unknown outside their House districts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They have to travel back and forth to Washington for legislative business, taking time away from the campaign trail. And it\u2019s hard to paint yourself as an outsider when you\u2019re a sitting member.<\/p>\n

\u201cVoters are likely \u2026 feeling disappointment in incumbents,\u201d Hellwege said. \u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of anti-government\u201d sentiment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more Cornyn, Tillis could create \u2018wild card situation\u2019 on Judiciary<\/a><\/p>\n

Jackie Wang contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson was the early favorite in the state\u2019s gubernatorial race, but in the run-up to Tuesday\u2019s primary, a poll found his edge eroding. The four-term Republican wound up finishing third, behind Gov. Larry Rhoden, who filled the vacancy left by former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and businessman Toby Doeden, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campaigns"],"yoast_head":"\nAnother one bites the dust - American Industry Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanindustryreview.com\/?p=171\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Another one bites the dust - American Industry Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson was the early favorite in the state\u2019s gubernatorial race, but in the run-up to Tuesday\u2019s primary, a poll found his edge eroding. The four-term Republican wound up finishing third, behind Gov. 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