SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A new leader will take office in Sioux Falls City Hall next year, and another name has thrown their hat into the ring.
After current Mayor Paul TenHaken finishes his eighth and final year in office, a new administration will begin.
Only former mayoral candidate David Zokaites and State Lawmaker Jamie Smith had entered the race until Wednesday.
Another former lawmaker and former City Councilor, Christine Erickson, made her announcement at a special event in Sioux Falls.
Erickson is a familiar name around the Sioux Falls area. She may get clout for her relation to her brother, former NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri, but her public service is what she wants to be known for.
She believes her experience as a small business owner and previous public servant will help her stand out among candidates.
“You won’t see me reaching for headlines. You won’t see me sending a press release every time something is done right. I quietly went to work. I quietly got things done and I quietly worked for our constituency,” Erickson said.
From 2013 to 2022, Erickson devoted herself to serving in the state legislature and as an at-large City Councilor.
Since then, she became President of the South Dakota Trucking and Auto Dealers Associations. She said the relationships she built will help her collaborate and better serve Sioux Falls.
“This isn’t the government for the government. This is, how can we work for people? And that starts with being open, honest, transparent and really just being palms up in every project or every decision that is made and I think that’s important and that’s where I will lead on that,” Erickson said.
The potential construction of a new prison site in Sioux Falls will be a key issue the next Sioux Falls Mayor will need to address. Erickson shared her perspective and how she would approach the ongoing saga if she were elected.
“Nobody wants the prison in their backyard,” described Erickson. “Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil and we know that it has to go somewhere. It’s been here for 100 years. We know it’s going to be somewhere for another 100 years, but what we have to do is make sure that we give a safe place to the prisoners, a safe work environment for those employees, provide the workforce there as well as make sure that when people are getting out, what are we doing to make sure that they don’t go back.”
She said her top priority if she gets elected is to keep Sioux Falls safe and be “forward-thinking,” meaning providing job and economic opportunity.
“I don’t want my kids to feel like they have to move four or five states away, that they can work right here in Sioux Falls, raise their family if that’s what they so choose to do and then also have the amenities,” Erickson said.
Erickson believes that Sioux Falls is a safe city, but that keeping it that way includes being proactive about addressing needs in the city.
“I believe the current administration is doing a fantastic job at combating crime and providing [law enforcement] the resources,” explained Erickson. “We want to expand on that and grow on that. We know we have big challenges ahead with the prison coming to South Dakota and with the programs that are going to come here and so while that prison is being built, we’re going to need to really have a seat at the table from a policy standpoint to making sure that our community is safe.”
Constituents concerned with property taxes have made their voices heard among the mayoral candidates. Erickson said she has heard plenty of concerns and has seen her own property taxes rise significantly in recent years.
“People are saying, ‘I need relief. I need help.’ People are feeling the pinch. What I want you to know is that, as a city council, we made strides and changes to make sure that we allowed disabled seniors and low-income seniors to get a refund on their property tax of the city portion. We did that as a city council. We were forward-leading in that. I would like to make sure that we have a seat at the table. There are tough decisions ahead of us that we have to make,” stated Erickson.
The campaign hopes to highlight Erickson as someone who has and will deliver “Results, not just rhetoric.” She recalled a story told by South Dakota Auto Dealers Association Board Member Bob Deelstra before introducing her at the event. Deelstra described a time when Erickson served as a legislator. She spoke with auto dealers and worked on “cutting bureaucracy and red tape” to help those auto dealers.
“To most, that would never make it in the media, but meant the world to their business. It was a huge price tag that would have impacted their business. That’s one story of many over my time that I’ve been able to do,” Erickson recalled.
Originally published by Parker Brown on Dakota News Now on July 23, 2025. Republished with permission.