Simplified: With nominating petitions officially out and about, the race is on to determine Sioux Falls' next mayor and new City Council members. Here's what we know so far about the 2026 municipal election, how much money has been raised so far, and what to watch between now and Election Day on June 2.

Why it matters

  • The 2026 city election has the potential to see dramatic change in city leadership. Not only will Sioux Falls have a new mayor, but half of the available City Council seats are up-for-grabs with only one incumbent running – bringing a lot of new faces to the bodies that set priorities, determine funding and legislate the city.
  • This also marks the first time the city election is on the same ballot as the statewide races in the South Dakota primary election. State law changed last year, requiring cities to coordinate with either the primary or general elections in an effort to increase voter turnout.
  • It's a pretty crowded field of candidates already – though it's also too soon to tell if all of them will get the signatures they need to get on the ballot. So far, there are about a dozen council candidates and seven declared mayoral candidates.
  • And, the money is already rolling in. So far, candidates have disclosed a combined more than $319,000 in campaign funds raised, with contributions from people in 18 different states.
“Voting is one of the most important ways to make your voice heard in our community,” said City Clerk Jermery Washington. “I encourage everyone to register, verify their information, and participate in this year’s elections.”  

So, who's running?

It's a little too soon to say for certain because there's still time for new folks to enter the race or for declared candidates to fall short on signatures.

  • That said, candidates do have to file paperwork with the city to declare their candidacy, so we know who intends to run based on those "Statement of Organization" forms.
  • There's also much more to come on who each of these individuals are, what they value, why they're running, etc., but for now, here's a run-down of the names in the game so far.

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by first name.

Mayoral candidates

  • Alex LaCroix
  • Christine Erickson
  • David Zokaites
  • Greg Jamison
  • Jamie Smith
  • Joe Batcheller
  • Marshall Selberg

City Council At-Large A

  • James Oppenheimer
  • Vince Danh

City Council At-Large B

  • Rich Merkouris (the lone incumbent on the list)
  • Samantha Scarlata

City Council (Central District)

  • Bob Trzynka
  • Matthew McKinley
  • Mike Zitterich
  • Zach DeBoer
  • Zak Okuwe

City Council (Southeast District)

  • Brady Kerkman
  • Michael Crane
  • Sara Pankonin

And who's been out fundraising already?

Quite a few of the candidates have started building up their coffers, and the mayoral candidates alone are closing in on a quarter-million in campaign funds raised.

Christine Erickson, a former City Council member and state lawmaker, is the first to hit the six-figure mark with just over $103,000 raised according to the latest finance disclosure forms in January.

Joe Batcheller, former leader of Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. is also right up there in bringing in the money with more than $70,000 raised, and Jamie Smith, state lawmaker and former gubernatorial candidate, has close to $54,000.

Marshall Selberg, also a former city councilor, is reporting just shy of $16,000 raised.

Greg Jamison, another former city councilor and current state lawmaker, was a later addition to the race, so there's no paperwork filed yet in terms of his fundraising.

Alex LaCroix also did not have any paperwork filed, and David Zokaites has self-funded $805.

On the council side ...

Money is also rolling in three of the four races.

The At-Large A seat – which was vacated by Councilor Sarah Cole last fall and is temporarily held by Councilor Vernon Brown – has the second-most money at the moment with a combined $28,000. Vince Danh has raised over $10,000, and James Oppenheimer has raised just over $18,000.

The most money is in the Southeast District, where Michael Crane has raised over $26,600. Brady Kerkman has raised $3,100.

  • That seat is currently held by Councilor David Barranco, who is not seeking re-election.

In the Central District, Bob Trzynka has raised the most with just shy of $17,000. Zak Okuwe has just shy of $3,000, and the other three are either just-announced or less than $1,000 total.

  • The Central District seat is currently held by Councilor Curt Soehl, who is unable to run again due to term limits.

The At-Large B seat – the only one this election with an incumbent – reports $0 raised so far.

What happens next?

It's a good time to check that your voter registration is up to date. The last day to register to vote is May 18. You can check yours here.