8 people are running for Sioux Falls City Council: What to know

Sioux Falls residents will see eight candidates on their ballot for Sioux Falls City Council when they head into voting booths on April 9, though only two of the city's four races have more than one candidate vying for the seat.

Candidates who were active prior to Jan. 4 were required to file a campaign finance disclosure report at that time, and will need to file another by March 5, when the public will get another look at their financial support.

More: Some Sioux Falls City Council candidates already have thousands in donations

Here's a look at who will be running now that the filing deadline has passed, and how you can make sure you're eligible to vote:

Who's running?

At-Large C

The lone At-Large seat in the election is being vacated by Councilor Alex Jensen, who has chosen not to run for re-election after serving one term.

Jensen has endorsed former state representative Richard Thomason to replace him. Thomason has called himself "a firm advocate for fiscal responsibility with balanced budgets and low taxes," and had already raised more than $10,000 as of his first campaign finance report.

Community organizer Jordan Deffenbaugh will also be trying for the seat. His platform includes calls to "revitalize the city and put power back into the hands of core neighborhoods," and his first campaign finance report showed a bit more than $1,000 raised.

Activist Allison Renville is the third person vying for the At-Large C seat. She's said her platform "prioritizes families, workers, community health, veterans, justice and public safety, transient and houseless folks and keeping the Sioux Valley thriving." She has yet to file a campaign finance report, having entered the race after the first deadline.

Northeast District

Marketer Miranda Basye announced a run for the seat where Councilor Pat Starr is term limited, saying in a release, "I remember waiting for the school bus on North Cliff Avenue next to a billboard when I first started school, and I just always felt safe and secure. I aspire for all our residents to feel safe just like I did when I was that little girl." She had raised more than $7,600 in her first campaign finance report.

Businessman Neil Jeske announced his run for the seat just days before the deadline, criticizing Mayor Paul TenHaken's actions on mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic and railing against what he called the "WOKE DEI 50% CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT OF SIOUX FALLS" on his campaign website.

Among Jeske's stated goals are enforcing city code and repealing a recently-implemented ordinance that requires applicants for a residential rental permit to attend a two-hour landlord training session. He has yet to file a campaign finance report.

City council public input regular David Zokaites is also throwing his hat into the ring for the seat, two years after a mayoral campaign that saw him draw 1.9% of the vote.

His campaign website, which promises that “mayor will come later," lists a platform including sane drug policy, walkable neighborhoods and “honest local government.”

You won’t see Tarek Maalouf on the ballot, however. He was the first person to announce a run for the council seat in the Northeast District, but discovered late Friday afternoon that his nominating petitions had been improperly filled out. He said he’d be voting for Basye.

Northwest District

Jennifer Sigette will be the lone candidate on the ballot for the Northwest District, where Councilor Greg Neitzert will be term limited after eight years on the council.

Sigette is the executive director of the South Dakota Lions Foundation, and has said she wants to "help ensure Sioux Falls continues to tackle the needs facing working families and retirees looking to stay close to home." She had raised more than $7,000 in her first campaign finance report.

Southwest District

Ryan Spellerberg is the only candidate running in the Southwest District, where Councilor Marshall Selberg is term limited after eight years in the seat.

The banker says affordable housing, reducing crime, investing in infrastructure and expanding the city's park system are some of his top goals. His first campaign finance report showed more than $12,000 in donations.

How can I vote?

To vote in the April 9 election, residents must be registered by 5 p.m. on March 25. You can register at the county auditor's office, driver's license stations, the city finance office, public assistance agencies, Department of Human Services offices and military recruitment offices.

You can also print a voter registration form from the South Dakota Secretary of State's office and submit it to the county auditor.

Absentee voting begins March 25 and ends on April 8. You can absentee vote by mail with an application from the Secretary of State's office. You can also vote absentee in-person with a photo ID at the Minnehaha County Administration Building at 415 N. Dakota Avenue.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 9. You can find out where to vote using this map, or by checking on the Secretary of State's website.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Who's running for Sioux Falls City Council?