Republican voters in District 1 will narrow the field for the South Dakota House of Representatives during the Tuesday, June 2 primary election. District 1 includes Marshall, Day, and parts of Roberts and Brown County. Republican voters may vote for up to two candidates in the race.
Candidates include incumbent Nick Fosness of Britton, Keith Miller of Aberdeen, Danny Kjos of Roslyn and incumbent Logan Manhart of Aberdeen. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with early and absentee voting already underway.
To help voters learn more about the candidates and their priorities, the Journal invited each candidate to complete a questionnaire. Their responses follow.
Background information
Nick Fosness: Jenny and I have been married for 29 years this month. We have four children and one grandchild. Jenny and I grew up in Tripp, both attended school in Aberdeen, and have lived in Britton for more than 14 years. I’ve been involved in many local projects in town, and we are very proud to call Britton home.
Keith Miller: Keith Miller, 47, I married my wife Anne Miller in 2000. Six children (two girls, four boys ages 12-21). We live southwest of Aberdeen where we have a small farm (cattle, horses, mules, hogs, chickens). We own and operate K&A Log Furniture, LLC, a business that designs and manufactures log and rustic furniture, constructs and restores log homes, operates a tree service and sawmill, and sells logs, boards, beams, slabs and firewood. I am a reserve officer with the Aberdeen Police Department and a volunteer firefighter with the Warner Volunteer Fire Department. My family and I enjoy working, hunting, fishing, and playing softball and basketball.
Danny Kjos: My name is Danny Kjos, married to Roxie for 42 years. I am an active member of Fron Lutheran Church. We have three daughters: Shauna and husband Jamie Miotke — they own Fiksdal Funeral Service in Webster; Codi and husband Nick Lesnar — Codi is a dental hygienist, and they farm south of Webster; and Stephanie and husband Vinson Dargatz — Steph is a CNP at Avera Waubay. We are blessed with 10 beautiful grandchildren. I am the owner of Twin Valley Tire/Community Oil Co. in Webster. I have been a small business owner for 28 years. I am currently serving as the vice chair on the Day County Commission board. I also have served on Day County Development, the Day County Foundation board, museum board, Fron Church Council and cemetery board, Strand Kjorsvig board as well as its foundation board.
Logan Manhart: I am 27 years old. I live just outside of Aberdeen with my wife and year-and-a-half-old daughter. My background consists of construction and real estate. I have been actively involved fighting for conservative causes since 2018 on the local and state level.
What is your reason for running for the State House, and what qualifications do you bring to the role?
Fosness: I bring a balanced perspective to Pierre that I think is necessary to support the rural lifestyle in northeast South Dakota. I am pro-economic development and am also pro-existing development. It’s OK to be a Republican and also support keeping our nursing homes open, as well as funding our schools. We need balance of representation.
Miller: I am not a career politician, never was a career politician and never will be, but I made the decision to run for office to fill a perceived void. Many constituents have indicated that they are looking for someone who will stand up for limited, responsible government, personal freedom and conservative values at the state level. I am running for office to be that voice. I have operated a small business and small farm in northeast South Dakota through the ups and downs of the last 20-plus years. I am very familiar with the necessity of fiscal responsibility, proper management and efficiency. Working side by side with family, friends and neighbors puts me on the ground level of understanding the issues that face rural areas.
Kjos: I feel we need a common-sense approach to the issues we are facing in District 1. My four years on the county commission will help with working a budget and how to spend our dollars wisely. Also, I will advocate for rural EMS and fire departments.
Manhart: I am running because I have a vision of what I would like South Dakota to become that I would like to see come to fruition in my lifetime: safe streets, safe neighborhoods, low taxes, and defending our constitutional liberties. I was elected in 2024 to be one of your District 1 state representatives, and I am seeking another two-year term.
What do you see as the most pressing issue facing District 1 or South Dakota as a whole, and how would you address it?
Fosness: Rural housing that is affordable is a high priority. I supported a bill this year that included Rural Housing Infrastructure Funds (still unspent federal dollars from COVID) to be used for a down-payment assistance program in a manufactured home. This would give buyers an opportunity to afford home ownership. Unfortunately, it needed a two-thirds majority to pass and didn’t receive it. Why? It’s HB1113. I encourage you to read this bill and see who voted for, and unfortunately against, it.
Miller: Labeling any one of the myriad of issues as the biggest is difficult. Property rights, family freedom, property taxes, expanding government/regulations, and fiscal responsibility are just some of the important issues that are impacting residents of our district. Property rights must be kept inviolate. Families are the basic building block of a stable society and I am a proponent of protecting family freedom. Property taxes have been rapidly climbing and action must be taken to rein in the spending that is driving their rise. We must return to a smaller, leaner, fiscally responsible government with less red tape and bureaucracy.
Kjos: Funding for rural healthcare, including ambulances and Medicaid for our nursing homes, all need to be addressed. Recruiting and retaining healthcare workers so we don’t have to be dependent on temp services.
Manhart: Without a doubt, property taxes are too high. I see property taxes as unconstitutional. People should not have to rent their property from the government.
What is another key priority you would focus on if elected, and what specific actions would you take?
Fosness: Our schools and main streets are the heartbeats of our communities. Agriculture drives the economic engine in South Dakota. I support bills that continue to fund public education, while also encouraging growth of businesses, healthcare and agriculture. With 550 bills last year, it’s hard to say one priority is the focus. We need a balanced approach that requires facts and logic to support our existence in rural South Dakota.
Miller: Eliminating wasteful and unnecessary programs. As a potential newcomer to the scene of government, a specific course of action will need to be determined when the opportunity to trim waste becomes apparent.
Kjos: Economic development is something I have always been passionate about. We have limited resources to fund our counties and towns. If we can bring reasonable development to our area, it will help everyone.
Manhart: We need to make a real substantive change to alleviate property taxes.
How do you approach working with others who may have different viewpoints, both within your party and across the aisle?
Fosness: I get along great with the five Democrats in the House. We are friends. The 65 Republicans in the House have an inter-party divide and it’s well-known. I approach every issue by listening to both sides, asking questions, and voting with facts and logic for what is best for our district. At times this means respectfully disagreeing within and outside the party.
Miller: A constitutional republic requires all to work toward a common goal, in this instance, the welfare of the great state of South Dakota, comprised of its residents. There are ethical and moral issues that I will not and cannot compromise on. But there are other issues where individuals can disagree on the best implementation of a plan or the best course of action to pursue. I am willing to work with any fellow House member to achieve the betterment of South Dakota.
Kjos: I enjoy working and interacting with people. If we disagree on an issue, let’s have a conversation so I can hear the other point of view. Sometimes other points open eyes to other ways of viewing an issue or topic. At the end of the day, the goal is to remain friends and continue dialogue. But if we can’t agree, that’s OK too!
Manhart: Simply having the conversation. Make the phone call, shake the hand.
Why should voters choose you?
Fosness: I ask for your vote for myself and Danny Kjos to continue representing our rural way of life. I have a balance of business experience, healthcare and education knowledge, 30 years of being a registered Republican, and yet I do not draw political lines when making a vote for what is best for us. Danny also brings business and county commission experience. We bring middle-of-the-district representation to Pierre, and I ask for your vote for both of us.
Miller: What I would like is for every citizen to examine the candidates’ positions and vote for the person who most often has a similar view as that citizen’s. If someone is looking for a candidate who is pro-life and a supporter of the Second Amendment, responsible law enforcement, tougher criminal penalties, limited government, private property rights, fiscal responsibility and lower taxes, then I would be a good fit. If those positions are not your own, I would recommend voting for someone else!
Kjos: I am a very even-keel, common-sense kind of guy. I feel my business background and commissioner experience will benefit my work at Pierre if elected. A moral compass guides my decisions, right vs. wrong.
Manhart: Because my views represent the conservatives who got me elected two years ago. I am not a politician, I am not bought and paid for, and I owe no political favors. My only interest is to represent the fine folks of District 1.
