At South Dakota News Watch, Stu Whitney has posted a longer version of the article below, replete with many photos. Highly recommended.
Here's the abridged version.
Toby Doeden makes the political establishment nervous. So what's his next move?
by Stu WhitneyABERDEEN, S.D. – Toby Doeden was in Sioux Falls on April 9 when the Brown County Republican Party posted on Facebook about its Lincoln Day Dinner the following night, promising a “formal candidate announcement for statewide office.”
Doeden, an Aberdeen businessman whose deep pockets and conservative activism have sparked speculation about a run for South Dakota governor in 2026, was the first person who came to mind for political enthusiasts.
“My phone started blowing up,” said Doeden, who was scheduled to speak at the event. “I called (Brown County GOP chair) Rich Hilgemann and asked him what was going on.”
It turned out that the post referred to a lower office, and even that announcement was called off at the last minute, removing some luster from the Lincoln Day gathering.
Still, tongues were wagging, a telling sign in South Dakota politics.
The fact that a social media message sent ripples of intrigue through the state Republican establishment shows how Doeden’s influence has risen over the past 15 months amid the party’s populist turn.
"He checks a lot of boxes for a candidate," said Carl Perry, a Republican state senator from Aberdeen who served as assistant majority leader in 2025 and was endorsed by Doeden. "He's an independent person who has done well financially and has a great family. I don't know if his ideas will be the ones that the people of South Dakota choose to support, but he's definitely going to get their attention."
Political newcomer means business
Some see Doeden's ascent as a sign of deteriorating public discourse, given his penchant for inflammatory rhetoric and hardball tactics.
Others view his profile as proof that outsiders can make an impact in an arena traditionally controlled by career politicians.
“He seems intent on being a major player,” said Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen. “That could be as a candidate or behind the scenes raising money and pushing a pugnacious agenda.”
Doeden didn’t commit either way during a recent interview with News Watch at his newly remodeled house and office on the rural outskirts of Aberdeen.
But he looked like a man who meant business, emboldened by the political tides in South Dakota and national tone-setting of President Donald Trump.
The property has the feel of a command center, with conference rooms and an office suite for Doeden, with plenty of front-facing windows so that he can "see people coming."
The 50-year-old Groton native also showed off a full-sized indoor court for basketball and pickleball, while a Polaris Ranger utility task vehicle sat waiting in the spacious driveway.
“Believe it not, we do have recreational activity around here,” said Doeden, with a self-deprecating nod to his hulking physique, an extension of his days as a football player and shot put standout in high school.
'Mad and angry is not a public policy'
There is a Trumpian aspect to Doeden’s methods.
He made waves in the business world before coming to politics as an outsider, latching onto a populist wave after “liberal nonsense,” as he calls it, “started leaking into South Dakota.”
His politics are personality-driven, not policy-focused, though he talks of lower property taxes, limited government and parental choice for schools.
He uses new media to his advantage, bypassing traditional outlets with paid social media posts, video snippets and a podcast called “Unfiltered,” in which he rails against the establishment with his newfound interest in public affairs.
“Up until two years ago,” Doeden told News Watch, “I was literally the least political person that you’ve ever met.”
His influence so far has been channeled through the self-funded Dakota First Action political action committee, boosting Republicans viewed as "patriots" or "solid conservatives" and berating "RINOs" (Republicans in Name Only).
The PAC took aim at mainstream Republicans during the 2024 primaries and helped defeat 14 incumbents, with Doeden spending more than $77,000 on targeted text messaging and mailers for 17 candidates.
Those efforts helped swing legislative leadership to the party’s right flank, buoyed by grassroots opposition to carbon pipelines and the state’s plan to build a prison in rural Lincoln County.
“He was looking for candidates who were committed, Christian and conservative, as well as upholding landowners' rights," said Perry, who defeated Katie Washnok, president of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, in the primary after Doeden dumped more than $6,000 into the race.
The intraparty attacks, some of them mischaracterizing legislative votes or positions, rankled party traditionalists. Others noted the irony of Doeden calling people RINOs when his first vote in a Republican primary came in 2024.
“He’s a very mad and angry person,” said Lee Schoenbeck, a longtime GOP state senator who retired from office last year. “Mad and angry is not a public policy platform. It doesn’t educate our children, create jobs or make our communities safer. He will need to set forth a policy platform that is more than just being mad and angry.”
Different kind of change agent
Doeden has been open about his interest in running for statewide office in 2026 as part of a “conservative revolution” in South Dakota, if past misdeeds and establishment resistance don’t impede his path.
He flirted briefly with a U.S. House run in 2024 before reversing course and forming Dakota First Action, using resources from his car dealerships and real estate holdings, a portfolio built without generational wealth or a college degree.
The Aberdeen Chrysler owner has ruffled feathers with frequent takedowns of Republican standard-bearers, saying that U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson “acts like a liberal, talks like a liberal and, worst of all, votes like a liberal.”
A campaign spokesperson for Johnson told News Watch that the congressman "has worked hard during President Trump's first 100 days to advance the Republican agenda of securing the border, getting tough on China and keeping men out of women's sports. South Dakota knows he's a conservative who gets things done. Toby peddles fear and anger. Luckily, there's a limited market for that in our state."
In speaking with News Watch, Doeden criticized the job performance of Gov. Larry Rhoden since taking office in February, citing that as a possible reason for Doeden to enter a high-profile gubernatorial race in the coming months.
Rhoden and Johnson are widely expected to be in that 2026 primary contest, possibly joined by Attorney General Marty Jackley and South Dakota Speaker of the House Jon Hansen, a fellow populist and property rights advocate.
“We’re looking ahead to 2026 and trying to figure out where I can be most effective,” said Doeden. “I’ve always been a fighter, and I don’t get caught up in what everybody else is going to do.”
This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact Stu Whitney at [email protected].
Photo: Dakota First Action PAC founder Toby Doeden (left) was a featured speaker at the Brown County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner on April 10, 2025, in downtown Aberdeen, S.D. (Photo: Lakeside Media/via South Dakota News Watch).
This abridged South Dakota News Watch article is republished online with permission.
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