In ongoing primary trivia, I notice that none of the Republican gubernatorial candidates scored overwhelming victories in their home counties:
| statewide | votes | primary% |
| Doeden | 41,791 | 30.6% |
| Rhoden | 34,379 | 25.2% |
| Johnson | 31,925 | 23.4% |
| Hansen | 28,390 | 20.8% |
| total | 136,485 |
| Brown | votes | % |
| Doeden | 1,981 | 32.3% |
| Johnson | 1,734 | 28.2% |
| Hansen | 1,332 | 21.7% |
| Rhoden | 1,094 | 17.8% |
| 6,141 |
| Moody | votes | % |
| Hansen | 451 | 47.1% |
| Doeden | 245 | 25.6% |
| Rhoden | 133 | 13.9% |
| Johnson | 129 | 13.5% |
| 958 |
| Davison | votes | % |
| Johnson | 1,194 | 37.4% |
| Doeden | 839 | 26.3% |
| Hansen | 585 | 18.3% |
| Rhoden | 573 | 18.0% |
| 3,191 |
| Meade | votes | % |
| Rhoden | 2,364 | 41.4% |
| Doeden | 1,891 | 33.1% |
| Hansen | 732 | 12.8% |
| Johnson | 727 | 12.7% |
| 5,714 |
In each gubernatorial candidate’s home county, more Republicans voted against their local boy than voted for him. In fact, no candidate won a majority in any county. Jon Hansen drew the highest support from his home folks, winning 47.1% of Moody County’s vote. Larry Rhoden was next best homewise, winning 41.4% in Meade County. Dusty Johnson got 37.4% of his home county Davison’s vote. Toby Doeden had the lowest popularity among the people closest to him, winning only 32.3% of the Brown County vote, barely distinguishable from his statewide tally of 30.6%. Doeden was actually more popular in Rhoden’s backyard than in his own.
But that in each of the other candidates’ home counties, Doeden was the second-best candidate. Remember: in a crowded field, you don’t have to be everybody’s favorite; you can win by being everyone’s second choice.