The latest episode of Dakota Town Hall focused almost entirely on Tuesday’s Republican gubernatorial runoff, with hosts Murdoc and Jake Shoenbeck joined by Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen and South Dakota Searchlight Editor Seth Tupper to break down Gov. Larry Rhoden’s commanding victory over Toby Doeden and what it means heading into the general election.

Venhuizen described election night as a sharp contrast to the tense Republican primary in June, saying the runoff results came quickly and sent a clear message from Republican voters.

“It was a lot more fun,” Venhuizen said. “Big win, a quick win, and a pretty strong message from the electorate about what they’re looking for in their candidate for governor.”

The Associated Press called the race just minutes after polls closed, reflecting Rhoden’s wide margin of victory. The discussion also highlighted voter turnout, which reached about 36% of registered Republicans, a figure both Venhuizen and Tupper said was stronger than expected for a standalone runoff election.

“We were hoping for anything over 25%, probably, and we would have felt pretty good,” Venhuizen said, adding that early voting numbers suggested turnout would remain relatively strong.

Tupper said the runoff gave voters more time to evaluate the remaining candidates after the crowded four-way primary.

“As people learned more about him, maybe a vote for Doeden the first time was just kind of like, ‘I just kind of like this guy,’ and the second time is like, ‘I know a lot more about him now. Maybe I don’t like him as much,'” Tupper said.

The conversation also examined Doeden’s campaign strategy, including the millions of dollars he invested in his own campaign, and questioned whether self-funding alone can build lasting political support. Tupper noted that fundraising also serves as a measure of grassroots commitment from supporters.

Looking ahead, the panel shifted its focus to November’s general election, the selection of Democratic lieutenant governor and attorney general candidates, and the four constitutional amendments and ballot measures South Dakotans will consider this fall. The hosts also hinted that next week’s episode may take a break from campaign politics to focus on the upcoming Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.