Nicole Mitzel Announces Campaign for South Dakota Senate, District 35

Nicole Mitzel Announces Campaign for South Dakota Senate, District 35

A record of service with at-risk youth, Capitol Hill experience, and a fight for school choice drives District 35 campaign

RAPID CITY, S.D. | Nicole Mitzel has officially announced her candidacy for South Dakota Senate, District 35, bringing a deeply personal commitment to children, families, and the kind of principled, hard-working leadership District 35 deserves.

Nicole Mitzel’s path to this race is rooted in a life of service. She began her career on Capitol Hill, spending nearly a decade in politics and public affairs with the Republican National Committee, where she gained firsthand knowledge of how federal policy decisions shape communities across the country. She later worked in television production before answering a deeper call closer to home. As a Juvenile Correctional Officer with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Mitzel showed up every day for kids that others had written off, learning firsthand that structure, compassion, and accountability can change the direction of a young person’s life. That experience didn’t just shape her career. It shaped her convictions.

Today she serves as Business Development Manager at Quality Interiors, supporting local businesses across the Black Hills, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Black Hills Home Builders Association, focused on housing affordability and responsible growth.

Those who know Nicole describe her the same way: she outworks the room and never cuts corners. Whether she was navigating national politics in Washington, managing facility safety and security in the juvenile center, or building client relationships in the private sector, her standard has never changed. Former Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom knows her as well as anyone. “I have had the privilege of knowing Nicole Mitzel both personally and professionally. What has always stood out to me is her integrity and her work ethic. She is the kind of person who does the right thing even when no one is watching, and she will outwork just about anyone in the room. Nicole has the character and the drive that we need. Please join me in supporting Nicole for Senate in District 35,” said Thom.

Nicole is married to Lieutenant Jason Mitzel of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. She is proudly Christian, pro-life, and pro-Second Amendment.

“Every kid deserves a chance, and every family deserves the freedom to choose the education that’s right for their child,” said Mitzel. “That’s not a political position for me. It’s something I lived. I’m running because District 35 families deserve a voice that will fight for them without apology.”

Mitzel’s campaign is built around expanding school choice and protecting parental rights, cutting property taxes and pushing back against government overreach, and standing firmly behind law enforcement, the Second Amendment, and the military families who call Ellsworth home.

To learn more or get involved, visit nicolemitzel.com.

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