Simplified: Five candidates are trying to win your vote to become the next mayor of Sioux Falls. Each candidate sat down with Sioux Falls Simplified for an interview to talk through a number of important issues – including many reader-submitted topics. Here's your Simplified guide to the mayoral candidates.
Why it matters
- Sioux Falls operates in a "strong mayor" form of government, which means the mayor is basically like the CEO of the city – wielding executive and administrative powers.
- The mayor's place on the city council also gives them a slice of legislative power because their vote can break a tie among councilors.
- Historically, at least since Sioux Falls adopted the strong mayor form of government in the mid '90s, mayors also end up winning re-election. That means whoever is selected this year is highly likely to be the mayor for the next eight years of Sioux Falls history.
- With five candidates, it's also highly likely the mayoral race will result in a run-off election, which means you may have a chance to vote twice for your favorite candidate – or, if your favorite doesn't make the top two, you'll need to find your back-up option.
- This guide aims to make it easy to feel smart about how the candidates feel on a wide variety of relevant policy issues.
Ok, with all that preamble, it's time to meet the candidates
Candidates include (in alphabetical order):
- Joe Batcheller
- Christine Erickson
- Greg Jamison
- Jamie Smith
- David Zokaites
You can view the full-length interviews with each of the five mayoral candidates on YouTube following the links below.
Meet the candidates
Joe Batcheller
Batcheller, 51, has a background in urban planning, and formerly worked as president of Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc.
- Batcheller said his interest in civic engagement started at a young age when his father took him to a public meeting at the old Washington High School downtown (now the Washington Pavilion) about building a new high school.
"I went home, and I drew maps of what I thought the school district should look like in the future," Batcheller said. "And that was just kind of the start of it."
Batcheller said he sees public service as a "calling" and a "duty."
"I just, I really love Sioux Falls, and I think that we have so much potential here," he said. "I just want to make sure that we’re not leaving any of that potential on the table."
Christine Erickson
Erickson, 48, is a former city councilor and state lawmaker who's currently president of both the South Dakota Auto Dealers and South Dakota Trucking Associations.
Growing up in South Dakota, Erickson said her father, an Army veteran, instilled in her the value of public service.
"(This role is about) being able to give back to the community that I choose to call home and that I want to see flourish, and give opportunities to my kids and other kids and just people – the opportunities are endless here," she said.
Greg Jamison
Jamison, 61, also has previous experience in both the state legislature and in serving on the Sioux Falls City Council. The business owner and broker has spent his whole life in Sioux Falls and said he's seen it go from "Mayberry" – the fictional small town from the 1960s sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" – to a "super powerhouse for the region."
- His path to public service also traces back to his father, who previously served on the city council.
"There's kind of a lineage of sorts of service to the community, and that’s really what it boils down to is just giving back to the community and serving," Jamison said. "It’s a big, important, serious job and it’s only gotten bigger as the city’s gotten bigger."
Jamie Smith
Smith, 55, said after losing the South Dakota governor's race to Kristi Noem in the 2022 election, he decided to shift focus to where he can best serve the community – closer to home.
"I’ve been a servant leader all my life," Smith said. "It's who I am. It's in my DNA to lead and to help others."
Smith is a lifelong Sioux Falls resident who most recently served in the South Dakota Senate representing District 15. He said being there wouldn't be a better job out there for him than serving as Sioux Falls' mayor.
"I love this city," he said. "I love serving others ... and I just can't wait for the opportunity to take Sioux Falls to the next century – really it's amazing."
David Zokaites
Zokaites, 64, is a political analyst running for mayor for the fourth time. He's also a frequent commenter at city council meetings and star of this 2024 YouTube mini-documentary.
He said he wants to run for mayor because he has a lot of ideas on how to make Sioux Falls "a better place for everybody."
"So, the way to do that is run for mayor and spread your ideas," Zokaites said. "And you get in a position where you can implement them and really make a big difference for Sioux Falls."
Let's talk policy
At the risk of this story turning into a novel, you'll find specific topic-based stories linked below that you can peruse based on your interests and concerns. Click the topic below to see candidate responses to questions on that topic.
Here's how the candidates responded to questions regarding:
- Homelessness
- Affordable Housing
- Public Safety
- Collaboration between Sioux Falls police and federal immigration officials (i.e. ICE)
- Public art
- Sustainability
- Childcare
- A downtown convention center
- And a few more topics still to come (data centers, Smithfield and the future of downtown)
What if I don't want to read a whole bunch?
You can listen to full interviews with each of the candidates by following the YouTube embeds above or by going directly to Sioux Falls Simplified's YouTube channel.
- Stay tuned in the coming days for topic-based videos featuring each of the candidates on specific topics including affordable housing, data centers, the future of downtown and more.
- Also in the works: comprehensive coverage of the Sioux Falls City Council races.
