Dan Ahlers

Dan Ahlers is a long-time member of the Dell Rapids community where he has been a small business owner for the past 20 years. One of his core values is giving back to the community. He has served as the President of the Haven Before and After School Program, the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Dell Rapids Community Fund. As a community leader, Dan brought a diverse group of entrepreneurs, non-profits and churches together to build a stronger community.

Dan has also served District 25 as a State Legislator for six years. During his time in the state legislature, he worked with the departments and his legislative colleagues to ensure state government worked efficiently and provided services that met the needs of South Dakotans. Dan has worked to increase funding to education, improve delivery of government services, support veterans and protect the most vulnerable citizens, all without raising taxes. He collaborated with his Democratic and Republican colleagues to pass legislation that improved education for students with disabilities, and increased access to quality health care. Dan also worked across party lines to increase funding to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Family, ensuring thousands of South Dakota children have access to nutritional food.

Working in the minority, it would have been easy to sit back and blame Republicans for the problems and challenges we faced as a state. Besides, what can a Democrat accomplish in Pierre? I’m not built that way, and I was determined to find a way to get work done. I looked for opportunities to work together and found common causes. As a result, we passed legislation and increased funding to areas many thought was impossible.

Now more than ever you need a strong voice in Washington D.C. Send me to Washington, and I will put that same grit and determination to work for you.

Dan and his wife, Amy, and are high school sweethearts and have been married for 21 years. They are long-time members of the Dell Rapids community, where they raise their two boys, Jackson (13) and Aaron (9).