Election '26: Why Most City Races Went to a Run-Off

Only one Sioux Falls City Council race has clear winner; other three spots set for rematches

Sioux Falls City Council candidates in Tuesday’s city election included (from top left): James Oppenheimer, Vince Danh, Rich Merkouris, Samantha Scarlata, Zak Okuwe, Bob Trzynka, Tommy Kunz, Zach DeBoer, Michael A. Crane, Brady Kerkman and Sara Pankonin.Three of the four races for Sioux Falls City Council on the ballot Tuesday will be decided in a run-off election on June 23.Only Rich Merkouris in the At-Large B District achieved the necessary 5…

Sioux Falls City Election, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly – South DaCola

As I knew going into Tuesday it was going to be chaos (go to link for results, I am NOT going to reprint), I had no idea how things would turn out. So, as in the past, most of my predictions came straight from my ass on best assumptions. I nailed some of them, I was so wrong on so many others. Before we get to the city races, WOW, Dusty must be feeling Butt Hurt right now. This one shocked me, but incumbency has it’s privledges and that is why R…

Election '26: Why most city races went to a run-off

Simplified: We don't yet know who most of Sioux Falls city leadership will be after Tuesday night's election because the mayoral race and three of the four City Council races will go to a run-off. Here's where the candidates stand in a now-narrowed field.Why it mattersIn the mayor's race, it came down to Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith, with 37% and 28% of the vote, respectively, in a crowded field of candidates vying to fill Mayor Paul TenHa…

Not Yet: Three of four Sioux Falls City Council seats have three more weeks of campaigning

Three of the four races for Sioux Falls City Council on the ballot Tuesday will be decided in a run-off election on June 23. At Large B Only Rich Merkouris in the At Large B District achieved the necessary 50 percent threshold to claim the seat outright. The only incumbent among the four races faced just one challenger – Samantha Scarlata – winning 60 percent of the vote as final totals came in early Wednesday. The contests in the At Large A, S…