Johnson to seek governorship while Bacon to retire
Two Republicans from the High Plains on June 30 are not seeking re-election to Congress with two different routes planned. Both are membersof the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
Media outlets are reporting that U.S.Rep. Dusty Johnson, 48, who has served as South Dakota’s lone at-large House member since 2019 announced he will be seeking his party’s nomination as governor in 2026.
Johnson is chairman of the Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development Subcommittee. He also serves on the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
According to an Associated Press story, if elected governor his priorities include cutting property taxes, combating drugs and addiction, and making college and technical schools more affordable.
The current governor is Larry Rhoden who is filling out the term of Kristi Noem, who is now secretary of Homeland Security.
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, a second district congressman from Nebraska, a member of the House Agriculture Committee and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation Subcommittee, announced June 30 he will not seek reelection in 2026 and will retire at the end of the 119th Congress.
Bacon’s district includes the area around Omaha. Bacon, 61, was first elected to the House in 2016 and had a 30-year career in the military.
“After consultation with my family and much prayer, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2026 and will fulfill my term in the 119th Congress through Jan. 2, 2027. After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home. I’ve been married for 41 years, and I’d like to dedicate more time to my family, my church, and the Omaha community. I also want to continue advocating for a strong national security strategy and a strong alliance system with countries that share our love of democracy, free markets and the rule of law.
“Legislatively, I aim to work to get five agricultural bills passed that were included as part of the farm bill, including the increase of defenses for our nation’s food supply chain and removing barriers for the next generation of farmers seeking to establish their operations.”
In agriculture among Bacon’s accomplishments he touted was provisions to help farmers and ranchers in the farm bill, including language related to the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine and measures to address foreign ownership of farmland and improve the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
In many circles, Johnson and Bacon were considered more centrist in their approach to governance.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
