RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dan Ahlers says nearly 50 years of single-party control has left the state lagging on essential services, from education funding to emergency response. In an interview on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at The Rapid City Post office on West Boulevard, Ahlers outlined his vision for an administration focused on consensus building and addressing localized infrastructure shortfalls.

Healthcare and Housing Pressures in Rapid City

Ahlers identified healthcare access and affordability as top concerns for voters across South Dakota, noting that shortages are no longer confined strictly to rural areas. He pointed to growing urban centers like Rapid City and Sioux Falls as places where residents face increasing hurdles in receiving proper medical care.

“Access is a huge problem,” Ahlers said, sharing personal experiences regarding his father’s health and a friend who had to be transferred to Omaha for treatment because local facilities could not accommodate his needs.

Directly tied to economic retention is the state’s ongoing housing shortage. Ahlers expressed concern that younger generations feel homeownership is entirely out of reach, which threatens to drive away local talent.

“If you want to keep young people here, if you want to keep talent here, you’ve got to not only have good jobs, but you’ve got to have a place for them to live,” Ahlers said. “They want homes. They want a place to live, raise a family, and grow old in. That’s part of the American dream. And that seems to be out of-people feel like that’s out of reach.”

Emergency Services and Property Taxes

The conversation turned to local funding crises, specifically the current ambulance funding dispute in Pennington County. Rapid City officials have moved toward ending ambulance coverage outside city limits due to budget constraints, raising safety concerns for surrounding rural communities.

As a member of the Dell Rapids Ambulance board, Ahlers advocated for the state to officially recognize ambulance services as essential, alongside police and fire departments.

“Why are we treating them different?” Ahlers asked. “When you think of who shows up first for a first responder, you have police officers, firefighters and ambulances. So why are we treating them different? And I think doing that, we should be looking at setting some money aside to help and assist with that.”

On property taxes, Ahlers criticized Republican proposals to eliminate the tax entirely or shift the burden to sales tax, arguing such moves harm low-income residents and defund vital local services. Instead, he proposed expanding and promoting existing tax freeze and refund programs for veterans, senior citizens, and people with disabilities. He noted that only 675 people currently utilize the program due to a lack of public awareness and a difficult application process.

Ahlers also called for comprehensive reform regarding how county assessors value homes, arguing the current system creates unfair inequities between communities and treats homes like commodities rather than places to live.

One-Party Rule and Natural Resources

Ahlers addressed the upcoming July 28 Republican runoff election between Rhoden and Dodon, stating his strategy remains focused on listening to voters rather than engaging in partisan infighting. He emphasized the necessity of repairing state relations with Native American tribes and listening to local communities on controversial projects.

According to Ahlers, a lack of transparency has fueled public frustration regarding projects like the TIF, the carbon dioxide pipeline, and new prison construction. He accused the legislature and the governor’s office of repeatedly attempting to overturn voter-approved ballot measures, including Medicaid expansion, recreational and medicinal marijuana, and minimum wage increases.

Regarding natural resources, Ahlers called for balanced legislation to manage data centers and mining operations, protecting the state’s water supply.

“This is about preserving our natural resources,” Ahlers said, pointing to Wyoming’s strict mining policies as a model for environmental protection. “We need to make sure that anybody, data center or any other company that wants to come into South Dakota is going to be a responsible neighbor, be good about using resources and not have their stuff built on the taxpayer dime.”

Education Funding and State Surpluses

South Dakota has long struggled with teacher retention, frequently ranking near the bottom nationally for educator salaries. Ahlers, who has worked as a substitute teacher for the past decade, noted that the state historically exports roughly 62 percent of its teaching and nursing graduates.

He argued that the state possesses the financial means to invest in education, infrastructure, and healthcare without raising taxes, pointing to hundreds of millions of dollars in budget surpluses over the last three years.

“We have more reserves in South Dakota than the state of Texas,” Ahlers said, criticizing the practice of underestimating revenue projections to accumulate massive reserve funds instead of investing in ongoing public needs upfront.

Final Remarks

“I want your readers. I want your listeners to feel comfortable with voting for a Democrat. It’s less about the letter and more about the person. We need people that are willing to do the hard work that are willing to listen to the people of the state and actually address these concerns that are that and issues that are challenging us here in South Dakota.” Said Ahlers. “I offer that I like working across the aisle. I don’t care what flavor or brand you call yourself. I just want to go in and get some work done. And I want to work with all of you. I want the voters of South Dakota to know if you think things are getting better. I’m not seeing it. I think most people aren’t seeing it. So let’s try something different. And in four years, if you don’t like it, it’s really easy to get rid of me, right?… South Dakota has nothing to lose. I think they have a lot to gain by taking a different path.”

Ahlers will face the victor of the July 28th governor Republican runoff on November 3rd.