Brookings County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for County Coroner, County Commissioner and County Finance Officer and more, and where they stand on agriculture, schools and jobs.
County offices
CoronerDavid Erickson (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
David Erickson
David Erickson is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Coroner, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
David Erickson is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageCommissioner (At Large)Martin "Marty" Stanwick (Independent) · Larry Jensen (Independent) · Michael Lambertus (R) · Alan Brutty (R) · Kelly VanderWal (R)
Martin "Marty" Stanwick (Independent), Larry Jensen (Independent), Michael Lambertus (Republican), Alan Brutty (Republican) and Kelly VanderWal (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Commissioner (At Large).
Martin "Marty" Stanwick
Martin "Marty" Stanwick served as Brookings County Sheriff for 28 years and announced he would not seek another term in that office before running for county commissioner instead, per the Brookings Beacon. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Larry Jensen
Larry Jensen is a sitting Brookings County Commissioner, per the county's official website. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Michael Lambertus
Michael Lambertus is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Commissioner (At Large), per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Alan Brutty
Alan Brutty is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Commissioner (At Large), per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Kelly VanderWal
Kelly VanderWal is a sitting Brookings County Commissioner, per the county's official website. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
5 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for the county's at-large commission seats, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list; the list does not specify how many seats are up this cycle.
Full race pageFinance OfficerLacey Klingbile (Independent) · Jenna Baker (R)
Lacey Klingbile (Independent) and Jenna Baker (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Finance Officer.
Lacey Klingbile
Lacey Klingbile is an independent candidate for Brookings County Finance Officer on the November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Jenna Baker
Jenna Baker is the Republican candidate for Brookings County Finance Officer on the November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Finance Officer, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageRegister of DeedsKristi Kruse (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kristi Kruse
Kristi Kruse is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Register of Deeds, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Kristi Kruse is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageSheriffManuel "Manny" Langstraat (Independent) · David Biteler (R)
Manuel "Manny" Langstraat (Independent) and David Biteler (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Sheriff.
Manuel "Manny" Langstraat
Manny Langstraat has nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, including 12 years with the Brookings County Sheriff's Office, where he currently works as a patrol supervisor and has served as a K9 handler, per the Brookings Beacon. He previously served six years in the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, per the Brookings Beacon. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
David Biteler
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Leadership that unites the department and the community
- Community partnership and service-oriented governance
About David Biteler
David Biteler was born at Brookings Hospital and currently serves as Assistant Sheriff, with more than 30 years in public safety and 20 years as a certified law enforcement officer, all in Brookings County, per the Brookings Beacon. He is a combat veteran with 22 years in the Army National Guard, retiring as a Sergeant First Class, per the Brookings Beacon.
2 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brookings County Sheriff, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's certified candidate list.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Brookings County is split across 4 South Dakota Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressSouth Dakota Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 7, 8
South Dakota Senate District 7Tim Reed (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Tim Reed
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Workforce shortages, housing, child care, education, health care, and infrastructure, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting questionnaire
- A sustainable approach to emergency medical services in rural areas, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting questionnaire
- Government accountability and transparency in how tax dollars are spent, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting questionnaire
About Tim Reed
Tim Reed is the Republican incumbent state senator for South Dakota Senate District 7, which includes Brookings, running unopposed for reelection in 2026, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He works as CEO of the Brookings Economic Development Corporation and previously served 13 years in Brookings city government, including eight years as mayor, per his questionnaire response to South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Reed has served 10 years in the South Dakota Legislature, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Tim Reed (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota Senate District 7; unopposed candidates still appear on South Dakota ballots, so the race is on the ballot but is not contested. Tim Reed is the sitting member, per the Legislature's 2026 session roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageSouth Dakota Senate District 8Clint Hoyer (Independent) · Casey Crabtree (R)
Clint Hoyer
Clint Hoyer is an independent candidate for South Dakota Senate District 8 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Casey Crabtree
Casey Crabtree was born in Lake Preston, raised in Arlington, and graduated from Northern State University with a business degree, per the campaign site. The campaign site says Crabtree was appointed to the South Dakota Senate in 2020, became Senate Majority Leader, and previously worked as Director of Economic Development at Heartland Energy.
Clint Hoyer (Independent), Casey Crabtree (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota Senate District 8. Casey Crabtree is the sitting member, per the Legislature's 2026 session roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageSouth Dakota House: 2 districtsDistricts 7, 8
South Dakota House District 7Blake Stevens (D) · Mellissa Heermann (R) · Roger DeGroot (R)
Blake Stevens
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Proposes eliminating the state's grocery tax and cutting property taxes, funded by a new tax on high incomes.
- Supports freezing tuition at South Dakota State University and creating a universal prekindergarten program.
About Blake Stevens
Blake Stevens has worked in retail, construction and hospitality and describes himself as a student and worker in Brookings, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Mellissa Heermann
Mellissa Heermann is revenue cycle director at Brookings Health System and has represented District 7 since 2023, per Heermann's campaign site. Heermann holds an undergraduate degree in international business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master's degree in operations management from South Dakota State University, and has served on the Brookings School Board, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Roger DeGroot
Roger DeGroot is a retired educator who has held the District 7 House seat since being elected in 2022, per South Dakota Public Broadcasting. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Blake Stevens (Democratic), Mellissa Heermann (Republican), Roger DeGroot (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota House District 7. Voters choose two. Mellissa Heermann and Roger DeGroot are sitting members, per the Legislature's 2026 session roster. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageSouth Dakota House District 8Jon Nelson (R) · Todd Wilkinson (R)
Jon Nelson
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Focuses on agriculture and rural South Dakota communities as district priorities.
About Jon Nelson
Jon Nelson is a farmer and cattle feeder from Lake Preston who has farmed and ranched for more than 40 years, per Nelson's campaign site. Nelson served 12 years on the Lake Preston School Board, including as board chair, and serves as a district director for the South Dakota Soybean Association, per the campaign site.
Todd Wilkinson
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Protect family farms and property rights, keeping land use decisions local
- Maintain balanced budgets and control state spending
- Support rural development through education access, childcare availability and local job creation
About Todd Wilkinson
Todd Wilkinson is a De Smet attorney and cattle producer running for South Dakota House District 8, per his campaign site. He has nearly 40 years of legal experience representing families, farmers, businesses and local governments, and he is a past president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, per his campaign site and South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
Jon Nelson (Republican), Todd Wilkinson (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for South Dakota House District 8. Voters choose two. The Legislature's 2026 session roster shows no sitting member among these candidates. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary, per the South Dakota Secretary of State's 2026 general-election candidate list.
Full race pageVoting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
South Dakota's field is the Secretary of State's general election candidate list. Party nominees were chosen at the June 2, 2026 primary; candidates for some offices are nominated at party conventions. Each of the 35 legislative districts elects one senator and two representatives, so House races say voters choose two, except the single-member House districts 26A, 26B, 28A and 28B. Unopposed candidates still appear on the ballot.
Who is on the ballot in Brookings County, South Dakota on November 3, 2026?
Brookings County sample ballot 2026: see where the commissioner, finance officer and county sheriff candidates stand on agriculture, schools and jobs. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in South Dakota?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for South Dakota are listed on the South Dakota election hub. South Dakota election hub →
How do I see my exact Brookings County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
South Dakota statewide racesEvery South Dakota race on this county's ballot.All South Dakota ballot measures4 statewide ballot measuresCandidate roster last updated Oct 7, 2026 from official election sources.