Summary
- Nikki
Gronli, former USDA Rural Development director, announced candidacy. - Running
for South Dakota’s lone U.S. House of Representatives seat in 2026. - Potential
first Democratic primary contender in over a decade. - Emphasizes
rural prosperity, Medicaid, agriculture, and veteran programs.
Due to Republican U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson’s
candidacy for governor, the House of Representatives seat will be up for grabs
in the upcoming election.
Gronli will begin her campaign on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at
the Holiday Inn City Centre in downtown Sioux Falls after filing her statement
of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Monday morning.
Billy Mawhiney, a nonprofit executive from Sioux Falls,
declared last month that he is also vying for the Democratic candidacy.
It will be the party’s first U.S. House primary contest in
South Dakota since 2012 if both continue to run until the primary in June of
next year. In the 2020 and 2022 elections, the party did not field any
candidates for the U.S. House.
Marty Jackley, the attorney general of South Dakota, has
declared his desire to run for the Republican nomination. This summer,
Madison-based Republican state senator Casey Crabtree submitted his declaration
of candidacy to the Federal Election Commission.
This spring, Gronli and other Democrats traveled
throughout South Dakota to host town hall meetings for residents who were
worried about changes to federal policy under the Trump administration.
“As I traveled the state and listened to people, I realized
there might be a place for me in this,”
Gronli said in an interview with South
Dakota Searchlight.
“There might be an opportunity to continue to listen to
them and bring forward their ideas and voices and be that voice in D.C.”
Gronli was the state director for USDA Rural Development
during the Biden administration and the former vice chair of the South Dakota
Democratic Party. She was in charge of funding rural community projects,
including broadband, housing, and infrastructure. She is the president of the
marketing firm Flatlander Strategies.
Gronli’s decision to run was motivated by worries about the
economy, access to healthcare, and how President Trump’s trade policies were
“devastating” South Dakota farmers.
“I’m watching our current elected leaders not do what’s best
for South Dakota,”
Gronli said.
“I’ve decided that I need to get in this race
and give people another option. We need some folks who have the courage to
stand up for South Dakota families.”
In addition to Crabtree and Jackley, James Bialota, a
self-described real estate investor and small business owner, has announced on
Facebook that he intends to run for the U.S. House as a Republican.
Additionally, Scott Schlagel, a Democrat, has submitted
applications to the Federal Election Commission to run for the position.
How might her USDA Rural Development record influence
voters?
Gronli’s experience at USDA Rural Development likely communicates
to rural voters that she is knowledgeable and committed to economic
development, infrastructure, housing, and agricultural programs that serve as
lifelines for South Dakota’s rural communities. Many rural community members
appreciate these programs because they contribute to local job development and
enhance their quality of life as rural South Dakotans. Her experience may
foster trust that she will use her leadership to advocate for rural South
Dakotans.
Because Gronli has a history of carrying out federally
funded programs that support rural business growth, broadband expansion, and
improvements to energy efficiency, she may appeal to voters looking for
practical, results-driven leadership focused on long-lasting solutions to rural
issues.
Some voters and political opponents may take a skeptical
approach to her record and connect it to broader criticism of USDA policy or
bureaucracy.
