Sioux Falls councilor wants South Dakota's top audit job
David Barranco announces bid to be state auditor, will run in 2026 election
CORRECTION: The original version of this article had an incorrectly transcribed quote David Barranco. The Dakota Scout deeply regrets the error.
A Sioux Falls city official is setting his sights on statewide office and will forgo a bid for a second term in municipal government.
City Councilor David Barranco on Friday announced his candidacy for South Dakota State Auditor, becoming the first to formally enter the race for the constitutional office.
“I’m very fortunate and blessed that the people understand the importance of this position and that we need a high competency level in that office,” Barranco told The Dakota Scout.
Barranco, 52, has represented the city’s southeast district on the Sioux Falls City Council since 2022. He has chaired the city’s audit committee since 2023 and said that experience uniquely qualifies him to lead a state office responsible for overseeing financial transactions.
While serving at Carnegie Town Hall, Barranco has advocated for deregulation, the elimination of outdated and ineffective fees, and closer collaboration with the executive branch of state government.
His campaign also touts Barranco’s voting record as a city councilor, which included opposing yearly inflationary property tax increases and support for an overhaul of the city’s public transit system and his service with the South Dakota Municipal League.
He also points to a more aggressive audit schedule under the city’s internal audit staff — which he oversees — as evidence that taxpayer dollars in Sioux Falls are being used as intended when budgeted by the City Council and the mayor's office.
“We increased the number of audits performed and simultaneously reduced total dollars spent. We found ways to cooperate with the city, increasing financial security while improving systemic efficiency,” said Barranco, a Republican whose candidacy comes with the support of current State Auditor Richard Sattgast, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. “We devised sustainable innovations to uplift working families without imposing new taxes. In short, we got more for less and our credit rating improved.”
Barranco’s decision to seek a statewide office means the Southeast District council seat will be an open race in 2026 as well.
He said stepping away from city government was a difficult decision, but one made with support from his family, faith, and a belief that he can continue serving his constituents as state auditor. And he’s committed, he said, to fulfilling his duties as a city councilor through 2026.
An attorney, Barranco is married to Catherine Barranco, former president of the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women. They have two sons, Christopher and William.
Partisan candidates for state auditor are nominated by delegates at their party’s state convention. The South Dakota Republican Party is scheduled to hold its convention June 2026.
