Nikki Gronli: Packed town halls throughout the state remind us that the power belongs to you, not to them.
On April 7, I announced that I would hit the road to host four town halls across South Dakota. While our members of Congress selectively choose the voices they hear from, I wanted to open the door to everyone. I wasn’t sure what the turnout would be, but I knew the demand was growing.
Now, after standing before capacity crowds in Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Vermillion and Aberdeen, I can say without hesitation, South Dakotans want their concerns to be heard. More than 1,000 people showed up. In Sioux Falls, security had to cap attendance at 400, turning away nearly 100 more who still wanted to join the conversation.
At two of the town halls, the first to speak were Republicans. One changed his registration to independent that very day. I heard frustration, urgency, and fierce determination. But more than anything, I heard a call for collective action.
What South Dakotans are saying
Tariffs are disruptive. Citizens, ag producers, manufacturers, and small business owners alike are frustrated and scared of what tariffs will do to South Dakota.
“This is an attack on everybody in this room and our ag producers; they’ve increased the input costs. This could be a huge burden, but obviously they change every 30 seconds.” — Doug, Baltic
Veterans and their families are concerned about their healthcare being taken away. They served this country and protected our constitutional rights. At every town hall, South Dakotans expressed their concern about the staffing cuts and reductions in services such as the suicide prevention hotline.
“My husband served in the US Army for 29 years … he receives his health care through the VA, as well as his disability pay, which constitutes half of our income. The VA system is already overburdened. If the proposed 83,000 jobs are cut, there is no way they will be able to offer the necessary services to our veterans. He does not want anything more than his due.” — Debra, Sioux Falls
The elimination of the Department of Education and cuts to Head Start would severely harm working families, especially students with special needs.
“My training is in speech pathology…many of our kids who are at Head Start are also on Medicaid, and it doesn't mean the parents aren't working. It just means that their income level is so low. Along with the cuts to the Department of Education, they affect special needs kids. Cuts to the Department of Education are intertwined with cuts to Medicaid. I can't believe it.” – Lisa, Aberdeen
“… in Order to form a more perfect union ...
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
My personal copy of the Constitution falls open naturally to this page — the preamble — because I return to it so often. It has become my North Star and the guiding principle behind the recent town halls I held across South Dakota.
I’m now reading through nearly seven and a half hours of transcripts filled with concerns, questions, and powerful stories. What’s clear is that South Dakotans are not giving up. They are looking for solutions, demanding strategic advocacy, and calling for collaboration in a moment when they feel abandoned by their members of Congress.
South Dakotans want their elected officials to do the job they were elected to do—to be a check on the power of the executive branch. Congress is not a bystander; it is a co-equal branch of government. Our representatives and senators are just as responsible for the direction our country is heading in — and for the harm being done to the people of this state.
“The power doesn't belong to them. The power belongs to you.”
Those powerful words were spoken at our final town hall by my friend and community leader Julian Beaudion. From the beginning, Julian believed so deeply in this effort that he joined me at every event. I’m grateful for his leadership and for the reminder that democracy is strongest when power is claimed by the people.
I also want to extend my sincere thanks to Zach Ducheneaux, former director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Reynold Nesiba, former state senator, and Mohamed Mohamed, president of the College Democrats of South Dakota, for joining as guest panelists. Their experience, insight, and presence added depth and meaning to the conversations.
… promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty ...”
I’ll soon complete the report summarizing the town halls and deliver it to the offices of our members of Congress. I’ll also share it with the local press — because transparency matters.
But let me be clear: I’m not done.
I’ve received numerous requests asking for more town halls. A team of motivated, responsive leaders is coming together and with the insights we’ve gathered, we’ll plan our next steps. We will continue to listen, show up, and transform the energy and ideas of South Dakotans into meaningful action.
Nikki Gronli of rural Dell Rapids was the state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development in South Dakota during the Biden administration and the former vice chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party. Gronli recently held town halls in Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Vermillion and Aberdeen.
Photo: Town hall that included the author in Rapid City last month. Photo by John Tsitrian
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