Representative Erik Muckey

05/29/2026

We voted. 🗳 Now, it's your turn!

Early voting is still possible at the Minnehaha County Courthouse through Monday, or make your plan to head to your voting precinct on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Local elections are absolutely essential for your daily life. Whether city council, school board, county commission and officers, or a primary election, everyone regardless of their party in District 15 will have a chance to make their vote count.

Yep, that means everyone: Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, No Party Affiliation, Just Here for the Party, whatever. You get a vote for Mayor, City Council, School Board, and key city initiated measures and charter amendments.

But it only counts if you show up. And your city, county, and state can be changed through your vote.

I won't tell you how you should vote because I believe that you are capable of making a choice that fits your vision of what you hope Sioux Falls can and should be.

If you want to hear my stances, ask me! Send a message, an email, or a text. But ultimately: your voice and your vote are yours. That's what makes our representative democracy so exceptional.

I will leave you with my favorite guide of the season, from Sioux Falls Simplified, highlighting the key city races that every single voter in Sioux Falls will get to weigh in on.

https://www.sfsimplified.com/your-complete-guide-to-the-2026-city-election-sioux-falls-election-june-2-candidates-bios-information-whos-running-mayor-city-council-school-board/

Go vote, friends.

05/27/2026

The primary is one week from today. Before you head to the polls, pull up your sample ballot at vip.sdsos.gov and count the races.

If state and local races are missing, you've been quietly reclassified as a "federal-only" voter, one of roughly 1,500 South Dakotans this happened to since January, most without ever being notified.

This week's Muckey Minutes is about what happened to two of our District 15 constituents, how the same residency laws get applied very differently to people in power, and what real election integrity should look like, including what I'm going to do about it in 2027.

Check your ballot. Then vote.

https://erikmuckey.substack.com/p/the-muckey-minutes-5272026

05/25/2026

Memorial Day is more than a day off.

For countless families across the country, Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember lost loved ones who have served our country and connect with the heart of who we are.

Sadie and I joined my parents this weekend to lay flowers and wreathes on graves in Corsica and New Holland before stopping in Harrison, where much of our family settled when they emigrated to South Dakota. Much of my parents' families' gravesites can be found in those three communities, including family members who died serving our country.

That includes Roy, my great-grandfather's youngest brother, who was killed in action as a navigator on a B-24 crew with the 8th Air Force. Roy was a 24-year-old school teacher who met his fate serving his country and fighting a N**i dictator who sought to subjugate and destroy anyone who stood in his way. Roy is the Beukelman namesake of Everson-Beukelman Legion Post #274 in my hometown of Corsica, an honor he earned with his life.

I don't doubt for a minute that anyone in our family would have traded those honors to have him home safe, even for a cause so great and necessary. That's why I don't take for granted the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families, especially when both sides of my family have experienced the grief of losing a family member serving in war.

It's also why I think of that legacy often as a lawmaker. The responsibility of preserving and defending our representative democracy is worth the effort, yet we cannot forget those who sacrifice for it. While I don't cast any votes to send servicemembers to war, legislators play a key role in supporting veteran services. And I will do my part to remember veterans and families in my decisions.

This peaceful scene is a common one at the Harrison Cemetery, where the pasture meets a peaceful resting place for countless relatives of our family. I hope this scene reminds you, like it does for me, that peace doesn't come without responsibility and sacrifice.

To our servicemembers and their families, thank you. May we see more than your sacrifices and remember our responsibilities to you.

05/24/2026

Legislators must live in the district they serve. That is the law.

I joined my colleagues in the Joint Democratic Caucus of the South Dakota Legislature to share this statement in light of reporting by The Dakota Scout regarding the residency status of District 26 Senator Tamara Grove.

The law is clear: the designation of an owner-occupied property can only be held in one place at a time. And the fact is clear: Sen. Grove's residence that is considered owner-occupied is in District 14, not District 26.

I join my colleagues in calling for her resignation and suspension of her District 26 campaign, as well as appropriate investigations into how this was possible. We will take legislative action to ensure this cannot happen again.

South Dakotans should be able to hold each of us to the highest standards. This is no exception.

05/22/2026

My thoughts on what's happening with federal-only ballots in District 15 🔊

05/21/2026

I joined Dakota News Now with a simple reminder: vote in local elections.

Here in District 15, there are no primaries for the Legislature. But the most important decisions that face our city are up on the ballot on June 2nd: school board members, City Councilors, and the Mayor.

Our state and our district come before my party. That's why I need to remind you all that this election on June 2nd isn't about Republicans. It's about our communities. It's about South Dakota.

Don't sit on the sideline while our community's future is decided. Whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, a Non-Party Affiliated voter, a Libertarian, or whatever party you're headed to next, get to the polls before or on June 2nd.

You have choices. Use your voices.

Primaries may not draw the same spotlight as the November general election, but the stakes can be just as high, if not higher.

Story>> https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/05/21/state-rep-echoes-importance-voter-turnout-primaries/

05/20/2026

We should not be making it harder for American citizens to vote.

I opposed legislation in the 2025 session that created separate categories for "federal" and "local" ballots for voters registered at post office boxes. Why?

I would be disenfranchising voters right here in District 15 and across South Dakota, especially in tribal nations where a PO Box may be the only option to register to vote.

Now, we're reaping what we're sowing from bad legislation brought without considering the consequences. Whatever your views are on "mailbox voters," we can't solve that problem by disenfranchising citizens' rights to vote unequally and unclearly.

I'm requesting information to clarify why these voters in District 15 are receiving unclear information about their voting rights.

Because that is what real election integrity is about.

New law for federal-only ballots was not supposed to apply to people already registered to vote, officials say

05/15/2026

Get out to vote on June 2nd because our community depends on it.

Make sure you're registered to vote by 5pm THIS MONDAY, May 18th, to vote in local elections.

This election cycle is about more than primary elections. In Sioux Falls, every voter will get to choose your Mayor, your City Council, and your School Board. Local elections mean more for your daily life than any other election.

While I'm not facing a primary on June 2nd, you better believe I'll be casting a ballot.

District 15, check your registration and make your plan to vote before or on June 2nd. Our city's future depends on it.

05/13/2026

We need June for District 15 in the South Dakota House.

I'm proud to support and endorse June CopperStad, who is running for my open seat in the House of Representatives serving District 15. June would be an outstanding advocate and voice for every person in our district. She includes, she listens, and above all, she'll fight for you.

Get to know June!

june4sd.com

My name is June and I'm running for State House Representative in District 15.

I'm a Community Health Worker. I've spent my career sitting across from people in the hardest moments of their lives — and watching the same broken systems show up again and again. Not because people aren't trying, but because the structures around them make it nearly impossible to get ahead.

That's what brought me here. I believe broken systems can be fixed — and that the people most affected should have a seat at the table when we do it.

I'm just getting started, and I'd love for you to be part of this. Follow along, share this with a neighbor, and let me know what's on your mind. 👋

Learn More 👉 June4SD.com
Donate 👉 https://secure.actblue.com/donate/june4sd

05/12/2026

A day late, but no less heartfelt.

Yesterday I celebrated my mom, my mother-in-law, my grandmother, and the mothers we've lost. You don't know me without knowing my mom: the fierce commitment to truth, the passion for taking care of people, the belief in a better day. I couldn't be prouder of my mom.

But Mother's Day in South Dakota is complicated. We have some of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the country. We don't fund Pre-K. We have no standard for parental leave. Childcare solutions keep getting vetoed. And we're hearing gubernatorial candidates say they'll go further and further to control women's decisions about their lives and healthcare.

So this week in the Muckey Minutes, I'm asking the question every candidate should have to answer:

What will you do for our mothers? And what will you do to help women and children thrive in South Dakota?

All of that and an Interim Rules Review Committee recap here: https://erikmuckey.substack.com/p/the-muckey-minutes-5112026