The District 2 field
South Dakota House District 2 has a contested general election on Nov. 3, 2026. The field consists of David Kull and John Sjaarda, two Republican incumbents.
Because both candidates are Republicans, the current field does not present voters with a choice between different party labels. It instead asks voters to assess two current officeholders from the same party. A party label identifies a candidate’s affiliation, but it does not establish where that person stands on a specific issue.
The election is part of South Dakota’s 2026 general election. That means the District 2 contest will appear at the general-election stage rather than as a party nomination contest.
David Kull
David Kull is running as a Republican incumbent for the South Dakota House in District 2. His incumbent designation means he already holds the office while seeking a place in the next term.
Kull does not have a documented policy position in the race. As a result, the candidate field does not yet establish how he would distinguish his priorities from those of the other Republican incumbent. Voters looking to compare the candidates on specific state issues will need to watch for policy statements during the campaign.
John Sjaarda
John Sjaarda is running as a Republican incumbent for the South Dakota House in District 2. His incumbent designation means he already holds the office while seeking a place in the next term.
Sjaarda does not have a documented policy position in the race. As a result, the candidate field does not yet establish how he would distinguish his priorities from those of the other Republican incumbent. Voters looking to compare the candidates on specific state issues will need to watch for policy statements during the campaign.
What makes the race contested
The race is contested because the District 2 general-election field includes more than one candidate. The defining facts at this stage are that Sjaarda and Kull are both incumbents, both are Republicans and both are running in the Nov. 3 election.
There is not yet a documented policy disagreement separating the candidates. That leaves several possible points of comparison for the campaign to develop, including each candidate’s stated priorities, approach to representing District 2 and positions on legislation that may come before the South Dakota House.
For first-time voters, the central distinction is between a candidate’s official status and the case that candidate makes during the campaign. “Republican” states the party affiliation, while “incumbent” states that the candidate currently holds office. Neither label, by itself, describes a candidate’s position on taxes, spending, education or any other state policy question. Those distinctions will depend on what Kull and Sjaarda say and do as the general election approaches.
