Pollster says Noem strongest GOP official in South Dakota. But where's Marty Jackley?

Poll surveyed Republican favorability, potential 2026 races.

A new poll shows Gov. Kristi Noem is South Dakota’s most popular statewide official among Republican voters.

But the omittance of one officeholder in Pierre from the survey of South Dakota GOP voters raises questions about the poll’s validity and its origins.

Florida-based research firm Kaplan Strategies this week unveiled data it collected from 500 registered Republicans that asked respondents about favorability of South Dakota’s Capitol Hill delegation, as well as the second-term governor, Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden and a pair of up-and-coming political players: Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and former Madison Lawmaker Russ Olson.

Among that field, Noem had the highest approval rating of any, according to Kaplan Strategies’ poll, with 78 percent of respondants viewing the governor favorably.

And should Noem make a run at the U.S. Senate when she terms out of office in 2026, she’s the odds-on-favorite in that contest, the pollster found.

“In a potential head-to-head primary contest between Gov. Noem and incumbent Sen. (Mike) Rounds, Noem exhibited a dominating lead with 53 percent of the support, compared to Rounds' 26 percent,” a release from Kaplan Strategies said. “Similarly, in a hypothetical matchup against Congressman (Dusty) Johnson, Noem held a massive advantage with 54 percent of the vote, leaving Johnson with 23 percent.”

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