More than 200 bills were signed into law during South Dakota's legislative session in 2025, and the vast majority of them take effect July 1.

Lance Russell, the State’s Attorney for Fall River and Oglala Lakota Counties and former state lawmaker, announced his candidacy for Attorney General on Tuesday.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr picked South Dakota as the place to unveil what he called a “Build America Agenda,” aimed at cutting regulations and revitalizing the telecommunications industry.

The announcement confirms what many throughout the state have expected for months, if not years. He joins a growing field in the Republican primary slated for June of 2026.

GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson entered the race Monday for South Dakota governor, as Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) has yet to announce whether he will run for reelection. “South Dakota is a special place where hard work, conservative common sense and firm handshakes are a way of life,” Johnson says in an ad posted on YouTube.

Governor Larry Rhoden signed over 200 bills into law that lawmakers passed during the 2025 Legislative Session, with 197 of them going into effect on Tuesday, July 1.