Former U.S. Department of Agriculture appointee Nikki Gronli announced her candidacy for South Dakota’s lone U.S. House seat Monday morning, potentially setting up the first Democratic primary race for the seat in over a decade.

The House seat will be up for grabs in next year’s election because Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson is running for governor .

Gronli filed her Federal Election Commission statement of candidacy Monday morning and will launch her campaign at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Holiday Inn City Centre in downtown Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls nonprofit executive Billy Mawhiney announced last month he is running for the Democratic nomination as well.

South Dakota's 2026 election

If both stay in the race until next June’s primary, it’ll be the party’s first U.S.

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