For the first time in 12 years, South Dakota Democrats are fielding multiple candidates for the state’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Former USDA Rural Development director Nikki Gronli formally announced her campaign in Sioux Falls Wednesday.
Gronli’s announcement comes months after she participated in several townhalls organized by the South Dakota Democratic Party around the state. Those sessions were part of the party’s response to a lack of townhall participation by South Dakota’s current congressional delegation.
“South Dakota deserves a representative who will keep hosting townhalls for years to come and invites you all to the table," she told an audience at the Holiday Inn in downtown Sioux Falls.
Gronli previously served as the state’s Rural Development Director during the Biden administration. During that time, she oversaw various infrastructure and community initiatives on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She is also a former vice chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party.
In late August, fellow Democrat and executive director of the South Dakota After School Association Billy Mawhiney also announced his candidacy. Current Attorney General Marty Jackley is running for Congress as a Republican. Republican state Senator Casey Crabtree has filed campaign paperwork but has not officially announced his candidacy.
Gronli addressed the likelihood of multiple primaries for the seat during her remarks.
"On the other side of the aisle, you’re going to see a fight," she said. "That fight is going to be about who more closely aligns with the policies Washington is using to harm South Dakota. Policies that harm our top industries, our workers, and our people. On this side of the aisle, you’re going to see issues elevated and, I guarantee, good conversations about how we best solve them.”
Gronli says those issues include affordable child care, grocery prices, social security and access to rural healthcare.
The primary election is scheduled for June 2, 2026.