Rapid City Municipal Election: History, Fast Facts & Recent Results

RAPID CITY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

HISTORY, FAST FACTS & RECENT RESULTS:

**The winner of today’s mayoral race will become the City’s 59^th mayor.

**The first mayor of Rapid City was John Richard Brennan, who served 1882-1883.

**There are five candidates running to become Rapid City’s next mayor. In June 2007, there were eight candidates vying to become mayor with Sam Kooiker topping the field and Alan Hanks finishing second.  The two met in a runoff election a couple weeks later with Hanks defeating Kooiker.

**In 2016, the Rapid City Council approved extending terms of office for City Council members from two years to three years (effective in 2017) and the term of mayor from two years to four years (effective in 2019).

**Mayor Steve Allender became the City’s 58^th mayor in 2015 and is the second longest continuous-serving mayor in the City’s history with eight years of service.  Art LaCroix, Allender and Jim Shaw are the only mayors to serve eight or more years in the office.  LaCroix served six two-year terms from 1975-87; Allender has served since 2015, having been elected to consecutive two-year terms before being elected to a four-year term in 2019.  Shaw served four two-year terms split between 1997-2001 and 2003-2007.

**Six previous mayors are currently living: Don Barnett (1971-75), Keith Carlyle (1987-91), Ed McLaughlin (1991-97), Jim Shaw (1997-2001, 2003-07), Alan Hanks (2007-11), Sam Kooiker (2011-15)

**Jackson Boulevard in Rapid City is named for former mayor Robert Jackson (1910-12)

**Rapid City Mayor Theodore B. ‘Dates’ Werner served as mayor from 1929-30 and served in the US Congress from 1933-1937

**Don Barnett (1971-75) served as mayor during the Rapid City/Black Hills Flood of 1972

**Earl Brockelsby (1948-49) founded Reptile Gardens

**Valentine McGillycuddy is considered one of the City’s first settlers and served as mayor from 1896-98. He also served as president of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology from 1893-97.  The Historic McGillycuddy House is located at 727 South Street.

**Four Rapid City mayors have had breaks in service while serving multiple terms as mayor (Chauncey Lynch Wood, Fred Dusek, Henry Jay Baker, Jim Shaw)

**Laura Armstrong is the sixth woman to run for mayor of Rapid City.  The first was Nelle Snyder in 1965.  The most recent was Natalie Stites Means in 2019.

RECENT MAYORAL ELECTION RESULTS:

2019

Steve Allender             6,237

Natalie Stites Means   2,115

2017

Mayor Allender unopposed for reelection

2015

Steve Allender             8,538

Sam Kooiker               7,312

2013

Sam Kooiker               7,505

Mark Kirkeby             2,803

2011

Sam Kooiker               6,977

Alan Hanks                 6,499

2009

Alan Hanks                 3,829

Bonnie Redden           1,569

2007

Alan Hanks                 5,921

Sam Kooiker               5,158

2005

Mayor Shaw unopposed for reelection

2003

Jim Shaw                    6,211

Jerry Munson              4,278

(13,878 votes cast in four way race, 10,489 cast in runoff)

2001

Jerry Munson              5,090

Jim Shaw                    4,762

1999

Jim Shaw                    7,286

Alan Hanks                 5,247

1997 (Runoff)

Jim Shaw                    7,168

Jerry Munson              6,967

Other elections of note:

1987 (Runoff)

Keith Carlyle               7,193

Arthur LaCroix           6,092

(Note: 13,357 voted in four-way race; 13,285 in runoff election)