Allison Renville enters South Dakota governor’s race as Independent candidate

Allison Renville announced in mid-October that she will run as an Independent candidate for South Dakota governor in the 2026 election, according to ICT. Renville, Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota, Hunkpapa Lakota, Omaha and Haudenosaunee, said she compiled enough signatures to appear on the ballot by Oct. 28. She grew up in Sisseton on the Lake Traverse Reservation and lives in Sioux Falls.

Renville said her political involvement began during protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline nearly 10 years ago. She later campaigned for Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016, created the Dakotas for America Political Action Committee in 2017 and organized locally in Sioux Falls, including a run for city council. Renville said her decision to run as an Independent reflects a desire to move past party politics. The South Dakota gubernatorial election is set for Nov. 3, 2026.