The first debate of the Republican nomination for governor in South Dakota was held between the four candidates, including Dusty Johnson, and Kristi Noem. The debate was viewed as a turning point in the race, with Johnson spending the most time defending Congress due to his role as a member of Congress. The other candidates argued that Washington, D.C., was too dysfunctional and that things would improve if Washington, DC, weren't so screwed up. The biggest surprise of the event was that Noem seemed uncomfortable in the debate setting. Hansen claimed that he was the only member of the Legislature who passed bills all by himself, while Doeden claimed to have a plan for improving education and attracting data centers. The moderators allowed one question from Pierre correspondent Bob Mercer, who has more legislative institutional memory than all four of the candidates.