Sonja Mentzer

Sonja Mentzer was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota. She earned a high school diploma from Chamberlain High School and a bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University in 2001. Her career experience includes working as a director of operations. Mentzer has been affiliated with Wheelchair Express Sioux Falls.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

South Dakota is where I was born, raised, educated, married, work, and raising my own children. South Dakota holds my memories and my aspirations.

I grew up on the shores of the Missouri River in the small town of Chamberlain. Graduated South Dakota State University with a degree in Hospitality Management and Business. I spent six years as the general manager of a fast food restaurant after college and now am the Director of Operations for a non-emergency transportation company.

I am the proud mother of an active duty U.S. Marine and a newly graduated High School senior.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

South Dakota has the highest percentage of medical debt in the country. South Dakota also has the second highest cost of healthcare in the country. Healthcare here is all too often inaccessable or unaffordable and only getting worse. Our rural populations are moving to larger cities to have access to healthcare, putting more strain on vast areas of low population.

I will encourage and support legislation that helps individuals get access to healthcare providers. I will support and lead legislation to make healthcare more affordable.Somewhere along the way, our public schools have come under attack. We see legislation all across this country going after our teachers, librarians, and public schools as a whole.

I will fight these attacks. I believe in a strong system of public education from early learning through adult education, providing equal educational opportunities with a broad curriculum of liberal arts, STEAM, career and technical, civics, and physical education.An educated and trained workforce who earns a wage comparable to the national wage in the United States based on cost-of-living index from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Education is esstential for personal and economic development and the state has a responsibility to make it a key priority. Special attention should be paid to occupations experiencing a labor shortage, such as trades, healthcare, and education.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Economic Development, Healthcare, and Education.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

South Dakota families for vaccines

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifetime resident of South Dakota, as well as having lived in western Sioux Falls for the last twenty years. I love South Dakota, South Dakota holds all of my favorite people and memories. I love people, and getting to meet new people. I love adventure, South Dakota holds many memories for me of living out those adventures and exploring this great state. I have core memories of exploring and playing at my grandparents farm, watching rodeos, learning to water ski on the Missouri, snow ski at Terry Peak, hike different trails and parks, visit new places, eat new foods, and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As the Director of Wheelchair Express I am absolutley concerned about accessibility to healthcare, the services needed for our states most vulnerable, and preventing any more of our nursing homes from closing.I am a strong supporter of our public schools, and believe we need to pay our educators a competitive wage, and make sure our schools have the resources to deliver the best education possible.Our state will always have ever changing concerns and areas that need addressed as we grow and change. Todays needs involve childcare cost and availability. The future of South Dakota in regards to pipelines, and can we balance such projects and still protect our land and livelihoods.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe our state needs to lead with policy that builds and supports our state residents and business, rather than limit. That we support encourage tourism, agritourism, EV stations along our interstates, as well as safe and sustainable practices.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think we are all looking for honesty and transparency, I understand that not all information can be public but if we can trust our elected officials to be honest in their roles, to be honest in their motives, to be transparent in their votes.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities for a legislator should first and foremost listen to those they represent, take those concerns to Pierre, and advocate for them. That would include all of those individuals and not just those that share a political party. Those legislators should be present, do the work to be informed, and be able to answer to the people.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I cleaned rooms at Super 8 for a year starting at age 14.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

The legislature is designed to be made up of regular folks representing all of us, from different backgrounds, bringing different ideas and prespectives. If we all show up having lived that same experiences we would never ask more of each other, we would not dive deeper into finding solutions to problems, or other ways of doing something.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

We need to absolutely work together to be most effective.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There have been so many outpouring of stories and personal concerns on the door steps during my door knocking in this campaign. The stories that have been the most memorable are those that are clearly struggling and trying to access the available programs, or those who are suffering without any knowledge that programs exist to help. It is the stories of people retiring early to be full time care givers of a spouse, being buried in medical debt and barely making ends meet. The stories of smart, caring individuals that were met with some horrible health problems that prevent them from driving, working, or living the life they had imagined for themselves, to be heavily burdened in an appeals process as they are trying to access disability programs.

It is the stories from child care providers and teachers who give everything they have to invest in our kids. How they would just want the support to do the jobs they so very much want to do. Teachers feeding kids lunch, either in buying lunches or bringing snacks, or microwavable mac and cheese cups to have on hand.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Vaccines for Healthy Families

Planned Parenthood

What committees interest you?

There is not a single committe that does not interest me, but my top picks would be Education, Health & Human Services, and Transportation.