Dakota
Voter
2026 SD Public Utilities Commissioner
Don Haggar – R
What are your top 2 priorities if elected?
What is the proper role of Government?
(video response not received yet)
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
In what ways do you stand out from your competitor?
As a Christian Conservative, I believe public service should honor God and serve people. I will perform the job of Public Utilities Commissioner without bias before a case coming before the commission. I will hold myself and all involved accountable in providing a fair hearing of the facts, making sure that all sides are heard and that the law and regulations that govern the process are followed.
During my service as a legislator, I sponsored and co-sponsored number bills that advanced the conservative world view that I hold, including public safety issues, tax reform, education, and Pro-Life issues. My role in leadership demonstrates my ability to build consensus while maintaining principled stances. I will bring that ability to the Public Utilities Commission as well. My focus will be keeping energy affordable and reliable, while protecting South Dakota consumers from unwarranted rate increases.
Community Endorsement:
(community endorsement not submitted yet)
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Frank Kloucek – D
What are your top 2 priorities if elected?
What is the proper role of Government?
Why are you the best candidate for the job?
In what ways do you stand out from your competitor?
South Dakotans deserve a Public Utilities Commissioner with the experience to ask tough questions, the independence to demand answers, and the determination to protect their pocketbooks. I bring 22 consecutive years of legislative service, a lifetime of farming, and a record voters trusted through 11 election victories.
For 20 years, I served on the Legislature’s Water Development Oversight Committee, overseeing the work of our state water boards. That experience taught me how decisions about infrastructure and natural resources affect our communities—and why public accountability matters. Those skills are especially relevant as South Dakota faces growing demands for electricity and water.
My record includes working across party lines on practical energy policy. In 2009, I joined Republican Senator Cooper Garnos in sponsoring Senate Bill 202, legislation addressing energy efficiency in state government. We pursued energy savings because wasted energy means wasted taxpayer dollars. That same principle will guide my work on the PUC: scrutinize costs, demand accountability, and protect the people paying the bills.
My approach to data centers shows the judgment I would bring to this job. I called for a one-year moratorium to give South Dakota time to study the consequences, hear from affected communities, and establish safeguards. Before committing our resources for decades, we need clear answers: Who pays for additional electrical infrastructure? How will existing customers be protected from higher bills? What demands will these facilities place on our water supplies? How will landowners be protected?
My opponent, Don Haggar, has called that approach “reckless and pandering.” I believe asking these questions is responsible leadership. A temporary pause allows safe, informed decisions. Economic development should benefit our communities, with enforceable protections that keep families, farmers, and small businesses from shouldering someone else’s expenses.
What sets me apart is extensive public oversight experience, firsthand knowledge of agriculture, and the willingness to demand answers before South Dakotans bear the costs.
As public utilities commissioner, I will scrutinize utility rate requests, advocate for reliable and affordable service, defend landowners, and support strong grain warehouse oversight to protect producers.
Whether you live in Sioux Falls or on a farm outside Scotland, you deserve someone in your corner. My experience, priorities, and record demonstrate why I am prepared to be that commissioner.
Community Endorsement:
“Frank Klouchek would be an outstanding choice for the PUC and deserves your support. Frank is a strong supporter of property rights, having supported SB1052 and was involved in the successful referral of RL21. He does not support tax incentives for data centers. He will always be with rate payers” (WORD LIMIT) – Ed Fischbach, SD Easement Team and property rights advocate
Learn more about Frank by visiting his: