After playing coy, Hansen-Lems ticket for governor confirmed
Joint gubernatorial run for governor's office breaks tradition in South Dakota politics
DELL RAPIDS — Any remaining doubt that South Dakota Speaker Jon Hansen has his eyes on the governor’s mansion is gone.
The Dell Rapids Republican and his No. 2 in the Legislature — Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems — on Wednesday confirmed they’re running as a ticket for South Dakota’s top two executive offices in the 2026 election.
Hansen will seek the governorship, with Lems, of Canton, running for lieutenant governor. Their joint announcement comes ahead of a campaign kickoff event scheduled for Thursday evening in Sioux Falls.
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