There are certain challenges that are outside our control. There's no local solution to the funding challenges facing school districts across South Dakota. But we can still make a difference for our students, like ensuring that every student can learn on a full stomach. In Spring 2026 I led efforts to support South Dakota House Bill 1082, which makes school lunches effectively free for families who previously only qualified for reduced-price meals. And in March 2026, I led a new initiative with Feeding Vermillion to provide a free holiday meal to every K-12 student in Vermillion, which we are looking to continue and expand in the coming school years.

I love this town. I've lived here longer than I've lived anywhere else. It's where I met my wife. And it's where, after we got married, we decided we wanted to return to raise our kids. And that was one of the best decisions we ever made.

Other towns have colleges. Other towns have domes and rivers. Maybe there's even another town—somewhere—with a sandwich shop in a hardware store. But it's not that stuff that makes Vermillion special. It's the people in that sandwich shop who've worked there for years and greet you by name when you walk in. It's the arts scene, with the murals and the downtown piano. It's the non-profit cinema and the Welcome Table.

It's about the people, and their passion for this community and truly caring about their neighbors. That passion is contagious, and it drives me to do everything I can to make Vermillion an even better place.