Top Political Stories of 2018: #5 – Paul TenHaken wins 2 in a row to become Sioux Falls Mayor
The very model of a modern urban environment, elections in Sioux Falls is a cat of far different stripes than elections across the rest of South Dakota. More moderate than most any other area of the state, it has a history of electing candidates that tack hard to the center as they attempt to navigate the rocky waters of politics.
The Republicans elected to those offices haven’t had a reputation as being conservative firebrands, and the most recent Democrat went so far as to abandon the Democrat Party and register independent because he claimed they didn’t share his values.
But in the most recent election, Sioux Falls voters decided they wanted a definite shift towards the right as they chose Republican Paul TenHaken as the top vote recipient in not just the initial election, but ultimately as the city’s new mayor in the run-off contest.
In the non-partisan contest, TenHaken faced fellow Republicans Jim Entennman and Greg Jamison, as well as Democrats Kenny Anderson, Jr. and Jolene Loetscher in the first part of the race, with TenHaken receiving 34% to Jolene Loetscher’s 25% percent of the vote. TenHaken followed up this up with a landslide victory of 63-37%.
TenHaken was easily the most conservative candidate in the entirety of the mayoral contest. After his victory, one politico very correctly remarked to me that the election of TenHaken was the first time in modern history that a foundational conservative was elected to the office of Sioux Falls Mayor.
But couple that with a candidate who ran a tight and organized campaign. While his campaign office neighbor across the street, Jim Entennman spent thousands on wrapping his truck with his visage and more on other frivolities, the TenHaken campaign office’s décor didn’t progress much beyond storing campaign signs in the window until they could be moved out to the locations awaiting them across Sioux Falls.
Conservative, charismatic, compassionate and social media savvy mixed with a disciplined campaign, Paul TenHaken represents a template for other conservatives running for public office in areas that may be more evenly balanced between those on the right and the left.
And he may represent the next generation who will be leading our state.
I would have put this story lower on the list…he won but she rally lost this race….
I am concerned he ran as a conservative but kind of squishy moderate so far….we shall see, but clearly an improvement over Mayor Non Announcement.
I disagree. TenHaken dominated.
Yes he dominated. Love his passion and his service oriented approach. Way early but right now I like him for Gov in 8 years.
from Sioux falls…good luck with that
Meh
Will he be a candidate for Gov or Senate some day? Sure looks the part.
Yes because looks is the #1 criteria I use when electing someone