Searchlight Report
Claim This Podcastby Meghan O’Brien
Podcast Overview
<p>Reporter and host Meghan O’Brien works with other South Dakota Searchlight journalists to take listeners inside politics and policy in The Mount Rushmore State, including the annual legislative session.</p>
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
1/22/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 29, 2026
Recapping the runoff: Pat Powers on Doeden's doomed quote, Rhoden’s victory and a Democrat’s ‘uphill battle’
Republican political commentator Pat Powers joins Searchlight Report once again — this time to give his takes on Tuesday’s runoff election for the Republican nomination for governor. Powers has been writing about South Dakota campaigns for more than 20 years on his <a href="https://dakotawarcollege.com/">South Dakota War College</a> blog. South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden won 71% of the vote Tuesday and will continue campaigning to keep his job until the November election. He’ll face Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers, a former state legislator, in the Nov. 3 general election.
July 24, 2026
South Dakota’s journey to a historic runoff election
South Dakota’s first statewide runoff election is Tuesday. Leading up to the polls opening, Searchlight Report host Meghan O’Brien takes listeners back to the beginning of the campaigns for the Republican nomination for governor, through debates and polling and to the final days leading up to Election Day. After <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/06/03/partial-returns-show-runoff-likely-needed-to-decide-south-dakota-republican-governor-primary/">a close four-way race</a>, political outsider Toby Doeden received 31% of the vote in June, and Gov. Larry Rhoden finished second with 25% of the vote. Because neither candidate secured 35% of the vote, a state law pushed the two into a runoff election. To learn more about the candidates, check out profiles on <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/07/16/toby-doeden-a-bitcoin-evangelist-and-anti-property-tax-crusader-who-wants-to-be-governor/">Toby Doeden</a> and <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/07/16/larry-rhoden-rancher-welder-and-three-decade-politician-makes-his-case-to-earn-sds-trust/">Gov. Larry Rhoden</a>, past Searchlight report interviews with <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/podcasts/ep-15-how-governor-candidate-toby-doeden-says-hell-phase-out-property-taxes/">Doeden</a> and <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/podcasts/ep-16-we-owe-it-to-society-to-rehabilitate-inmates-gov-rhoden-says-amid-campaign-debates-about-prison/">Rhoden</a>, and South Dakota Searchlight’s <a href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/voter-guides/2026-republican-governor-nomination-runoff/">voter guide</a>.
July 17, 2026
Bringing the Capitol art and paint scheme back from ‘outlined in Sharpie’ to the ‘way it should be’
Reporter and Searchlight Report host Meghan O’Brien climbed nearly 100 feet up into the South Dakota State Capitol dome with artists from the restoration firm <a href="https://conradschmitt.com/">Conrad Schmitt</a> — project foreman Philip Atilano and Alyssa Johnson, one of the painters on Atilano’s crew. They’re restoring decorative paint in the Capitol to its original glory — after some decades-old touch-up work they say was done with a Sharpie — and adding some flourishes of their own.
27 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Searchlight Report?
<p>Reporter and host Meghan O’Brien works with other South Dakota Searchlight journalists to take listeners inside politics and policy in The Mount Rushmore State, including the annual legislative session.</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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