Bob Mercer writes up how Governor Larry Rhoden and Speaker Jon Hansen, rivals for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, made nicey-nice to pass property tax relief this Session:
The governor said he woke up a few Sundays ago at “dark thirty” thinking about some possible ways to reduce property taxes. He decided to call Hansen and House Republican leader Scott Odenbach of Spearfish. Those led to more talks, which eventually led to the governor supporting SB 245.
Rhoden testified in favor of both his own SB 96 and Hansen’s SB 245, and Hansen voted for SB 96 when it received final legislative approval in the House.
…“We didn’t talk about any plans, just wanted to make sure the air was clear between us and the other leadership in the Senate. I asked them if they would like to get together the next day. And so we sat down and just laid some cards on the table, and I kind of expressed to them again my sincerity about working on good policy,” Rhoden said.
“And as we talked through that and worked through the issues, it was encouraging to me because I thought that’s what this process should be able to look like, that we can set differences aside. Hansen put trust in me that I would be true to my word on following through in support of his proposal, as we had agreed on it. We honored that.
“He (Hansen) honored his commitments, and it built a trust level, and it culminated with good policy, good results for the citizens of South Dakota. So I was very proud of what, of that kind of an example that we don’t see very often in modern day politics” [Bob Mercer, “Phone Calls Led to Historic Property Tax Relief Pact,” KELO-TV, 2026.03.12].
Mercer notes that Hansen submitted his nominating petition shortly after the Governor signed the two big property tax relief bills last Thursday. But with Rhoden trailing in even his own polling and Hansen placing last in all available polls, one can’t help reading Mercer’s story of cooperation and comity and smelling a deal in the works. Sure, Hansen submits his petition, because his volunteers worked hard to get those thousands of signatures, and qualifying for the ballot maintains his leverage. But after Session ends on Veto Day, March 30, and after the primary candidate petition deadline of March 31, the candidates have two and a half weeks before early voting begins on April 17. Before the auditor starts handing out ballots, Hansen and Rhoden can hold a joint press conference. Hansen can announce he’s recognized through Rhoden’s steady and effective leadership through the 2026 Session that there’s no need for South Dakota to change horses midstream. Hansen can endorse Rhoden, suspend his campaign, and save face. Rhoden can slurp up a good chunk of Hansen’s voters and close the gap between himself and Dusty Johnson, and on the off-chance Hansen’s endorsement is enough to push Rhoden past Johnson’s boundless enthusiasm, Rhoden can offer Hansen some nice consolation prize, like replacing Ian Fury as the Governor’s Unborn Child Advocate, or maybe backing a surprise bid to nominate Hansen for Attorney General (yes! Larry! Do that! I’d love to see the state lose more ballot-question cases!).
Watch Hansen and Rhoden closely—a deal may be brewing!
Why everyone knows that Hansen is uninformed or lying, right?