Meet the Candidates for South Dakota House of Representatives, District 6
Jerry Jongeling, Elliott Neff, Austin Wolf and Garret M Campbell are running for election in the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 6, which includes the Tea and Harrisburg area. The General Election will take place on Nov. 3.
Jongeling is a Republican seeking to represent District 6. He works as the traffic, light and power superintendent for the City of Sioux Falls.
Neff is a Republican seeking to represent District 6. He is a small business owner.
Wolf is a Democrat seeking to represent District 6. He is a plumber and small business owner, according to his campaign website.
Campbell is a Democrat seeking to represent District 6.
[SDPB News reached out to each candidate running for state Legislature in 2026 with a short questionnaire. Those who responded have their answers listed below]:
Jerry Jongeling:
1) Why are you running for the state Legislature?
I have been a lifelong resident of Lincoln County and have had the opportunity to watch our community grow and evolve over the years. About eight years ago, I visited the Lincoln County Planning and Zoning Office to ask questions about how the area’s growth would affect my property. Shortly after that conversation, I was asked to serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
That experience changed my perspective. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful leadership and a willingness to serve can make a real difference for a community. I’ve learned that one person, working with and listening to others, can have a positive impact on neighbors, families, and the future of the county.
I’m running for the state Legislature because I want to bring that same servant leadership mindset to Pierre. I want to represent District 6 with common sense, practical experience, and a commitment to making decisions that strengthen our communities and improve the lives of the people I serve.
2) What do you think are some of the biggest issues Pierre should be tackling next session?
One of the biggest priorities for the next legislative session is continuing to strengthen Lincoln County while ensuring District 6 remains a great place for young families to build their future.
That means creating an environment where families can afford to put down roots, businesses can grow, and our communities remain safe and prosperous. It also means protecting our constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment, preserving our family values, and being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars to help keep costs under control.
These challenges won’t be solved in a single legislative session. They require long-term planning, responsible budgeting, and the willingness to make thoughtful adjustments as our county continues to grow and change. At the same time, we must continue investing in the roads, emergency services, and infrastructure that support our quality of life and our economic growth.
Finding the right balance won’t always be easy, but it’s essential to ensuring District 6 remains a strong community for our families.
3) What’s an issue that’s impacting your district in particular, and how can you help?
One of my top priorities is ensuring that District 6 has the tools it needs to successfully manage growth while preserving the values that make our communities strong.
Lincoln County is the fastest-growing county in South Dakota. Our agricultural community remains a vital part of our economy and way of life, while communities like Tea, Harrisburg, and the south side of Sioux Falls continue to experience record growth. We need policies that allow agriculture to thrive while also providing our cities with the infrastructure, housing, and resources necessary to support that growth responsibly.
I believe the best solutions come from bringing people together. By working with both the agricultural and municipal communities, we can find common-sense approaches that benefit everyone. My role in Pierre will be to ensure District 6 has a strong voice and the support it needs to plan for the future while protecting the quality of life that makes this area such a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
4) What skills and experience make you the right choice to represent your district?
I grew up in Lincoln County and graduated from Lennox High School. My wife is a Harrisburg High School graduate, and our two children graduated from Tea Area High School. Our family’s roots run deep in this community, and we’ve experienced firsthand the growth and opportunities that make District 6 such a great place to live.
I began my career as an electrician after earning a two-year technical degree. Through hard work, setting goals, and continually challenging myself, I’ve built a career managing operations, budgets, and employees for the City of Sioux Falls. Every day I work to solve problems, make responsible financial decisions, and provide reliable services for our community.
As Chair of the Lincoln County Planning Commission, I’ve gained firsthand experience addressing the challenges of South Dakota’s fastest-growing county. As a local small business owner, I also understand the risks, responsibilities, and determination it takes to build and grow a business.
These experiences have taught me that good leadership starts with listening. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I believe the best decisions come from working together, respecting different perspectives, and focusing on common-sense solutions.
I’m running to support District 6—for our families, our communities, and the opportunities that will keep Lincoln County a great place to live for generations to come.
Austin Wolf:
Why are you running for state Legislature?
I am running because I believe District 6 deserves a representative who is willing to listen, tell the truth, and put people ahead of political parties.
I am a plumber, general contractor, small-business owner, husband, father, and neighbor. I see firsthand what rising property taxes, housing costs, health care expenses, and rapid growth are doing to working families. People are working hard, doing everything they were told to do, and still feeling like they are falling behind.
I am also deeply concerned that political tribalism has replaced practical problem-solving. Too many politicians seem more interested in pleasing their party, building a following, or winning the next popularity contest than in governing.
I did not enter this race to become a better Democrat. I entered it to become a better representative for District 6.
I am willing to work with Republicans, Democrats, and independents whenever the idea is good and the people of my district benefit. I believe public service should still mean something, and I am running to prove that government can be practical, accountable, and focused on the people it serves.
What do you think are some of the biggest issues Pierre should be tackling next session?
Pierre needs to focus on the economic pressure facing ordinary South Dakotans.
Property taxes are rising faster than many families’ ability to pay. Housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable, especially for young families, seniors, and first-time buyers. Health care remains too expensive and too difficult to access. Our schools need the resources to retain good teachers, and growing communities need infrastructure that can keep pace.
These problems are connected. When housing costs rise, property taxes climb, child care is unaffordable, and wages fail to keep up, South Dakota becomes a harder place to build a life—even for people working full time.
I have already begun doing more than talking about these problems. I wrote a housing affordability resolution that was adopted by the South Dakota Democratic Party, and I have property tax legislation prepared to bring to Pierre. I am not running simply to identify problems. I am running with ideas and legislation ready to move.
I also believe the Legislature must restore accountability and transparency. Voters deserve to know who elected officials are working for, how public money is being spent, and whether legislation is solving an actual problem or merely making a political statement.
The next session should be less about national political theater and more about the practical concerns South Dakotans discuss at their kitchen tables: housing, property taxes, schools, health care, infrastructure, and whether their children will be able to afford to stay here.
What is an issue that is impacting your district in particular, and how can you help?
District 6 is one of the fastest-growing areas in South Dakota. That growth brings tremendous opportunity, but it also puts pressure on housing, roads, schools, utilities, public safety, and property taxpayers.
Families in southern Sioux Falls, Harrisburg, and Tea are watching their property values and tax bills rise rapidly, even though their household incomes have not increased at the same pace. At the same time, local governments and school districts are being asked to serve thousands of new residents.
We cannot simply assume that growth pays for itself. We need a serious plan that fairly divides the cost of new infrastructure without forcing existing homeowners—particularly seniors and working families—to carry an unreasonable burden.
That is why I have made housing affordability and property tax reform central to my campaign. I wrote a housing affordability resolution that was adopted by the state party, and I have property tax legislation ready to introduce. My goal is to expand the supply of attainable homes, encourage responsible development, and provide meaningful relief for homeowners without starving schools and local communities of the resources they need.
As a plumber, contractor, and small-business owner, I understand infrastructure from the ground up. I know the difference between a temporary patch and a lasting repair. I would bring that practical perspective to Pierre while working with local officials, developers, school districts, and residents.
District 6 needs someone who understands both the promise and the cost of rapid growth—and who is already preparing solutions.
What skills and experience make you the right choice to represent your district?
I have spent my career solving real problems for real people.
As a licensed master plumber, general contractor, and small-business owner, I have learned to listen carefully, diagnose the actual problem, explain the options honestly, work within a budget, and stand behind the result. You cannot blame the other party when a basement is flooding. You have to find the problem and fix it.
That is the practical mindset I would bring to the Legislature.
I have also demonstrated that I am prepared to turn ideas into policy. I wrote a housing affordability resolution that earned adoption by the South Dakota Democratic Party, and I have property tax legislation ready to bring forward. I will not arrive in Pierre looking for something to work on. I already know why I am going and what I intend to accomplish.
I am also a former Republican running as a Democrat. That gives me an ability to understand people on both sides of the political divide. I do not believe either party has a monopoly on good ideas, character, or patriotism. I can respect someone, listen to them, and work with them without agreeing with them on everything.
Most importantly, I am accessible and accountable. I am not running because party leaders selected me or because I believe I am entitled to the position. I chose to run because District 6 needs an independent voice with the courage to ask difficult questions, challenge both parties, and put the district first.
I do not work for the party. I work for District 6.
Garret Campbell:
Why are you running for state Legislature?
The reason I’m running is the economic problems that me & my fellow citizens faced. Which have been repeatedly ignored despite them worsening year after year.
What do you think are some of the biggest issues Pierre should be tackling next session?
The cost of living, specifically around healthcare, & housing, & tied with that, wage growth.
What is an issue that is impacting your district in particular, and how can you help?
My district of 6th has some of highest growth out of the state & along with that, the highest taxes on the county level, specifically looking at property tax. One in every three people I’ve talked to bring up this issue. I believe that as a representative I could gain districts like mine grants/extra funding due to our growth & or find another way to reduce the burden that are on my fellow district member. Even if it means we have to curb our growth to a level that’s more sustainable to the people who already live here.
What skills and experience make you the right choice to represent your district?
I have three years of public service from working at charities, with the longest being The Banquet for just under two years. Outside of that I have been a worker for several companies over the last 10 years, so I know the type of ‘care” workers get from the typical company in this state, especially for people who are just getting into the workforce.
Also, Ernie Otten is running for re-election to the South Dakota Senate. Otten is a Republican looking to retain his seat representing District 6. He represented the district for four terms in the Senate starting in 2013. He then served two terms in the House before switching back to the Senate in 2025. He is running unopposed in 2026.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov 3 in all the voting precincts in Lincoln County. The polling place in each precinct is listed on page 9.