Skip to content
elect.link
Latest
Allupdates
D Democratic · U.S. House At-large, South Dakota · Nov 3, 2026

Nicole
"Nikki" Gronli

South Dakota Democrat Nikki Gronli runs for the state's at-large U.S. House seat in her first bid for elective office.

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
17
positions
9
endorsements
6
nikkigforsd.com ↗(opens in a new tab) Facebook(opens in a new tab)
Opponent Marty Jackley R Compare race →

Background

Nicole "Nikki" Gronli is a Democrat from Dell Rapids, South Dakota, running for the state's at-large U.S. House seat in the November 2026 general election — her first run for elective office. 1 She grew up in Aurora, South Dakota, and graduated from Brookings High School in 1991 before earning a B.S. in Design Communications from the University of Minnesota. 14

Gronli spent most of her career in marketing and communications, including a role as a marketing specialist at SDN Communications in Sioux Falls. 45 She also served in rural development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a position to which President Joe Biden appointed her. 1 At the time of her campaign announcement she was working as a consultant but described having stepped back from that work to focus on the race. 1

Prior to running for Congress, Gronli held party leadership roles, serving as vice chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party and chair of the Minnehaha County Democratic Party. 14 Her campaign has emphasized strengthening the middle class, protecting health care, and supporting South Dakota farmers and rural communities. 15

The seat Gronli is seeking became open after Republican incumbent Dusty Johnson moved toward a run for governor. Her general-election opponent is Republican Marty Jackley. 17

At a glance

Party
Democratic
Running for
U.S. House · District At-large, South Dakota
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
Consultant (stepping back to run for Congress)
Website
nikkigforsd.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Oct 11
    news
    Gronli and Jackley find common ground opposing Trump beef imports despite tariff disagreements

    Reporting noted that while Gronli and Jackley disagreed on tariff policy broadly, both candidates expressed opposition to Trump administration beef import policies, finding rare common ground on that agricultural issue.

    US House candidates disagree on tariffs, but find common ground on opposition to Trump beef imports · Oct 11, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Oct 9
    news
    Gronli discusses her motivation for running and campaign priorities in KOTA-TV interview

    In a KOTA-TV 'Political Pulse' interview, Gronli said statewide outreach and town halls persuaded her to run. She described the campaign as 'about listening to people' and said its priority was 'staying focused on the economy and making sure families have what they need and can afford it.'

    Political Pulse: Nikki Gronli on running for U.S. House as a Democrat · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Oct 5
    news
    Post-debate coverage highlights Gronli's positions on AI regulation, tariffs, and tribal issues

    SDPB and other outlets published additional post-debate reporting. Gronli called for congressional AI regulation and international cooperation, warning that unregulated AI 'can really be a Pandora's Box.' Coverage also detailed her disagreements with Jackley on tariffs, health care, and tribal issues.

    U.S. House candidates agree Congress has role in AI ... · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Oct 1
    debate
    Gronli and Jackley debate at SDPB studios in Sioux Falls on agriculture, affordability, and other issues

    Gronli and Jackley met for a general-election debate at SDPB studios in Sioux Falls, co-hosted with South Dakota News Watch. Gronli said farmers faced 'chaos' and called a comprehensive Farm Bill a priority. She and Jackley both supported rebuilding the cattle herd but differed on trade and tariffs. They also clashed on healthcare and tribal policy. Gronli said, 'I believe in capitalism,' citing her and her husband's small businesses, distancing herself from a socialist direction in the Democratic Party. She also argued Congress has a role in AI regulation and called for international cooperation.

    House Candidates Clash on Tariffs, Health Care and Tribal Issues During Sioux Falls Debate · Oct 5, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 30
    news
    Gronli unveils economic proposals at Sioux Falls press conference, targeting tariffs and Social Security

    At a Sioux Falls press conference, Gronli proposed reversing Trump-era tariffs, capping monthly insulin costs at $35, expanding Medicare drug-price negotiation, eliminating the Social Security payroll-tax income cap, increasing grants for independent meat processors, and creating a heifer tax credit. Jackley's campaign responded that he supported less government and lower taxes and criticized her proposals as Biden-era policies.

    Democrat for US House unveils proposals to lower tariffs, stabilize Social Security · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 28
    filing
    Gronli and Jackley listed as the two general-election candidates for South Dakota's at-large U.S. House seat

    ChamberLight's election tracker listed Nikki Gronli (Democrat) and Marty Jackley (Republican) as the candidates on the general-election ballot. It also reported Gronli had raised about $262,000, spent $151,000, and had $111,000 cash on hand through June 30.

    South Dakota's At-Large Congressional District 2026: Gronli vs. Jackley | ChamberLight · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sep 14
    news
    KELOLAND announces 'Conversations with the Candidates' featuring U.S. House race

    KELOLAND published guidance on how to watch its 'Conversations with the Candidates' program, which included the South Dakota U.S. House race featuring Gronli.

    How to watch KELOLAND's Conversations with the Candidates · Sep 14, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Aug 26
    poll
    Democratic-internal poll shows Jackley at 47%, Gronli at 43% (interviews Aug. 26–30)

    A poll by Lake Research Partners, reported by Politics & Poll Tracker on X on Sept. 30, showed Marty Jackley at 47% and Nikki Gronli at 43%. Interviews were conducted Aug. 26–30. No sample size or full methodology was provided; the result should be treated cautiously as a Democratic-internal poll.

    Politics & Poll Tracker on X: "Lake Research Partners poll - X · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) organization
    Listed Gronli as an endorsed candidate for SD-AL on the NWPC's 2026 endorsed-candidates page. No individual endorsement date provided. nwpc.org
  • Billie Sutton other
    Listed as an endorser on Gronli's iVoterGuide profile. No date, title, or separate primary-source announcement found. ivoterguide.com
  • Nicole Uhri-Balk other
    Listed as an endorser on Gronli's iVoterGuide profile. No date, title, or separate primary-source announcement found. ivoterguide.com
  • The Collective PAC organization
    Listed as an endorsement on Gronli's iVoterGuide candidate profile. Could not independently verify on The Collective PAC's own candidate page. No endorsement date found. ivoterguide.com
  • Kadyn Wittman other
    Listed as an endorser on Gronli's iVoterGuide profile. No date, title, or separate primary-source announcement found. ivoterguide.com
  • Joe Biden official
    Former U.S. President Biden stated: "I'm proud to endorse … Nikki Gronli for Congress in South Dakota this November." Announced by the South Dakota Democratic Party. sddp.org · Jun 5, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$262K
Spent
$151K
Cash on hand
$111K

As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6SD01141(opens in a new tab)

Sources 17

  1. [1] US House candidates disagree on tariffs, but find common ground on opposition to Trump beef imports(opens in a new tab) Oct 11, 2026
  2. [2] Political Pulse: Nikki Gronli on running for U.S. House as a Democrat(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
  3. [3] NEWS(opens in a new tab) Oct 8, 2026
  4. [4] House Candidates Clash on Tariffs, Health Care and Tribal Issues During Sioux Falls Debate(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
  5. [5] U.S. House candidates agree Congress has role in AI ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 5, 2026
  6. [6] South Dakota U.S. House race debate(opens in a new tab) Oct 2, 2026
  7. [7] U.S. House Democratic Party Candidate sets economic ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  8. [8] Democrat for US House unveils proposals to lower tariffs, stabilize Social Security(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  9. [9] Nicole "Nikki" Gronli(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  10. [10] Politics & Poll Tracker on X: "Lake Research Partners poll - X(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  11. [11] South Dakota's At-Large Congressional District 2026: Gronli vs. Jackley | ChamberLight(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
  12. [12] How to watch KELOLAND's Conversations with the Candidates(opens in a new tab) Sep 14, 2026
  13. [13] South Dakota Congressional Candidates Clash Over ...(opens in a new tab) Aug 26, 2026
  14. [14] Endorsed Candidates - National Women's Political Caucus(opens in a new tab) Aug 25, 2026
  15. [15] Gronli Warns Voters About Jackley’s Antipathy to Ballot Questions and First Amendment(opens in a new tab) Aug 18, 2026
  16. [16] President Biden Endorses Dan Ahlers, Julian Beaudion ...(opens in a new tab) Jun 5, 2026
  17. [17] Nicole "Nikki" Gronli — official campaign website(opens in a new tab) Sep 3, 2024
Are you Nicole "Nikki" Gronli?
Claim this page to add a statement to voters and correct your details.
Sign in to claim
elect.link

Candidate pages are assembled automatically from public web sources. Every claim links to where it came from. Nonpartisan; no endorsements. Candidates can claim their page to add a statement and corrections.