
Minnehaha County voters will choose a county auditor and three at-large county commissioners in the Nov. 3 general election, while two other countywide offices have already been decided following the June primary.
The county, South Dakota's largest by population, is governed by five commissioners and five independently elected county officers, including the auditor, sheriff and register of deeds. The county provides services ranging from law enforcement and election administration to road maintenance, property valuation, juvenile detention and recording land and vital records.
Keep scrolling for a quick look at the candidates voters will see — or, in two cases, won't see — on their Election Day ballots. (Candidates are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot.)
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County auditor

Leah Anderson
Leah Anderson
Anderson is the incumbent county auditor and is seeking another term. She has a background in public and corporate accounting and owns a small business. She earned a bachelor's degree in business and accounting from the University of South Dakota in 1993.
A Republican, Anderson has served as Minnehaha County auditor since 2023. The auditor's office oversees county election administration and also handles county budget and financial duties.

Curt Deedrich
Curt Deedrich
Deedrich is challenging Anderson for the auditor's office. A Democrat, he launched his campaign in January and has described elections, auditing and staffing as his three primary areas of focus.
Deedrich previously farmed corn and soybeans in Illinois and has experience in local government, including service as a village board member and township assessor. In a recent candidate statement, he said he considers the county's current election process secure but believes the county needs more vote-counting machines and additional space for counting ballots. The auditor's race is the only contested countywide race for an incumbent county office on the November ballot.


COUNTY COMMISSION
With only one currently seated commission seeking reelection this fall and longtime commissioner Gerald Beninga and first-term commissioner Joe Kippley opting not to seek reelection, three spots on the five-member Minnehaha County Commission are up for grabs.

Jen Bleyenberg
Jen Bleyenberg
One of three Republicans in the race, Bleyenberg has served on the County Commission since January 2023 and is currently the commission's vice chair.
A rural Hartford resident, Bleyenberg works on the financial aid team at the University of Sioux Falls and previously served as treasurer for Wall Lake Township. Her current county assignments include the Coroner, Human Services, Juvenile Detention Center, Library Board of Trustees, juvenile justice and behavioral health-related boards and committees.

Rick Bonander
Rick Bonander
Bonander is a fifth-generation Minnehaha County resident who lives in the Valley Springs area. His family has farmed the same land since his ancestors settled there in 1873.
He holds degrees in commercial economics and agricultural business from South Dakota State University and spent about four decades in agricultural sales management, including work involving farmers, cooperatives and agricultural companies.
Bonander has said his campaign is focused on county finances, public safety, infrastructure and growth, communication with residents and county services. He also serves as vice chairman of the Minnehaha Conservation District board.
He is a registered Republican.

Brent Hoffman
Brent Hoffman
Hoffman served one term in the South Dakota Senate, representing District 9 in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions as a member of the chamber’s Republican caucus.
A Humboldt resident, Hoffman served 20 years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Newman University and the University of South Dakota, where he earned an MBA.

Kenny Anderson Jr.
Kenny Anderson Jr.
A former Sioux Falls City Councilor who served eight years in municipal government, Anderson is the lone Democratic candidate in the race. While in city office from 2008 through 2016, he ascended to council chairman and later ran for Sioux Falls mayor in 2018.
Anderson is a military veteran. His father, Kenny Anderson Sr., served on the Sioux Falls City Commission, the first black person elected to the body.

Curt Soehl
Curt Soehl
Running as an independent candidate, Soehl is completing his tenure on the Sioux Falls City Council, where he represents the Central District. His council term expired this summer.
Soehl and his wife have lived in Sioux Falls since 1980. He spent 20 years with the Sioux Falls Fire Department and retired as a captain. He now works as a district manager for South Dakota Farmers Union Insurance.
Soehl has also served on the Sioux Falls Sports Authority Board and has been involved with youth hockey, youth softball, neighborhood block watch and the Sioux Falls labor community.
Sheriff
Josh Phillips
Phillips will become Minnehaha County's next sheriff after winning the June Republican primary. No Democrat or other candidate filed for the November race, meaning Phillips will succeed Sheriff Mike Milstead without a general-election contest.
Milstead has served as sheriff since 1997 and announced he would not seek another term. Phillips is a 22-year veteran of the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office. His career has included assignments as a patrol deputy, detective, patrol sergeant, investigations sergeant, SWAT team member and Crisis Negotiations Unit commander. He currently serves as a captain overseeing investigations and the Sioux Falls Area Fugitive Task Force.
He and his wife have three children and live in Hartford.
Register of deeds
Riley Karsky
Karsky won the Republican primary for register of deeds and is unopposed in November, meaning she will take over the office after the election.
The Register of Deeds is responsible for recording and maintaining county land records, including deeds, mortgages, plats, easements and liens. The office also issues birth, marriage and death certificates and marriage licenses and maintains military discharge records.
Karsky's election will result in a new officeholder succeeding Alicia Luther, who has served in an interim role since 2025.
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