David Zokaites is a longtime Sioux Falls civic activist and perennial mayoral candidate known for years of pointed criticism at City Council meetings and for repeated, unsuccessful bids for the mayor’s office. His most recent run, in June 2026, ended with him finishing last in a five-way race at about 2% of the vote. Days earlier he had filed a $22.2 million federal lawsuit against the city; a judge dismissed it within days and called it “absolute nonsense.”1Dakota News Now. Lawsuit by Mayoral Candidate Zokaites Dismissed by Judge
Activism at Sioux Falls City Hall
Zokaites has said he has spent eight years studying Sioux Falls local government at what he calls a “crazy deep level.”2South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Zokaites: Mayor’s Big Public Speaking Voice Can Help Solve City Problems He has addressed the City Council nearly 200 times, presenting printed PowerPoint slides on transparency, police reform, homelessness, housing affordability, and civil liberties.3Sioux Falls Live. Longtime City Hall Critic Makes at Least Third Run at Sioux Falls Mayor Office He has cast himself as a self-appointed watchdog and has repeatedly accused city officials of favoring wealthy developers and campaign donors.
One of his sustained efforts pushed the Sioux Falls Board of Ethics to investigate third-party paid travel for city officials. After an initial 2020 request was set aside because it did not name a specific individual as required by city code, he filed again in April 2021. The board unanimously declined to investigate.4Argus Leader. Board of Ethics Asked to Investigate Travel Paid by Third Party for Sioux Falls Officials Zokaites called the refusal a decision that “protected and encouraged commonplace bribery.” He has also acknowledged that he feels he has not made a “whole lot of impact on any of the issues” he has raised at City Hall.5Argus Leader. David Zokaites Enters Mayor Race, Active at City Council Meetings
Mayoral Campaigns
2018: Missed the Ballot
Zokaites first attempted to run in 2018 but never made the ballot. Candidates needed 200 valid petition signatures from registered voters by a February 23, 2018, deadline. He arrived at the City Clerk’s Office less than five minutes before the 5:00 p.m. cutoff, and City Clerk Tom Greco determined he had 196 valid signatures, four short. He blamed the shortfall on two temporary laborers he had hired that morning who never showed up.6Argus Leader. David Zokaites Says Day Laborers Cost Him Ballot Spot
2022: On the Ballot
Zokaites entered the 2022 Sioux Falls mayoral race, running on his record of activism and his advocacy for government transparency.5Argus Leader. David Zokaites Enters Mayor Race, Active at City Council Meetings Reporting later described the 2026 bid as at least his third run for the office.3Sioux Falls Live. Longtime City Hall Critic Makes at Least Third Run at Sioux Falls Mayor Office
2026: Fifth of Five
For 2026, Zokaites personally gathered the required 200 signatures, saying he declined volunteer help so he could speak with voters himself.7Dakota News Now. David Zokaites to Appear on 2026 Sioux Falls Mayoral Ballot His platform called for publicly funded elections, treating addiction as a health issue rather than a crime, affordable housing through zoning changes, environmental cleanup of the Big Sioux River, and a shift toward walkable “new urbanist” city design.8David Z for Mayor. Platform Summary He summarized his philosophy in an SDPB interview with the slogan “Protect democracy and love your neighbor” and said the mayor’s most important function is providing a “big public speaking voice.”9South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Zokaites: Mayor’s Big Public Speaking Voice Can Help Solve City Problems
The June 2, 2026, election was a nonpartisan five-candidate race to succeed term-limited Mayor Paul TenHaken. Zokaites finished last with 623 votes, roughly 2% of ballots cast. Former City Council member Christine Erickson led with 37%, followed by state Sen. Jamie Smith at 28%, state Rep. Greg Jamison at 18%, and Joe Batcheller at 15%.10South Dakota Secretary of State. Sioux Falls Municipal Election Results After the results came in, Zokaites said there was “little value” in running again and added, “I’m off to do something else.”11Argus Leader. Erickson, Smith Deadlocked as Sioux Falls Mayoral Runoff Looms
Lawsuits Against the City
2019 Civil Rights Case
In 2019, Zokaites filed a pro se civil rights lawsuit against the City of Sioux Falls under 42 U.S.C. ยง 1983 and represented himself throughout. U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier granted summary judgment to the city, finding that he had not shown an official policy, custom, or practice that caused the alleged violations, as required for municipal liability under Monell. The Eighth Circuit affirmed the dismissal on May 20, 2021.12FindLaw. Zokaites v. City of Sioux Falls, Appeal No. 20-3338
2026 $22.2 Million Federal Suit
On May 29, 2026, days before the mayoral election, Zokaites filed a 251-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota seeking $22.2 million in damages.13Argus Leader. Mayoral Candidate David Zokaites Sues City to Protect Civil Rights The complaint alleged “deprivation of rights” and cited multiple false arrests in 2024 along with unlawful stops and First Amendment concerns.14Dakota News Now. Sioux Falls Mayoral Candidate Sues City Over Civil Rights Claims Named defendants included Mayor Paul TenHaken, Police Chief Jon Thum, Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, former City Councilor and mayoral rival Christine Erickson, current council members, and multiple unnamed police officers. Zokaites described the pre-election timing as a “great opportunity to encourage democracy.”
U.S. District Judge Charles Kornmann dismissed the case within days, calling it “absolute nonsense” and finding that it “cited no applicable basis for federal jurisdiction.”1Dakota News Now. Lawsuit by Mayoral Candidate Zokaites Dismissed by Judge15The Dakota Scout. Judge Wastes No Time in Tossing $22.2 Million Lawsuit
What’s Next
Zokaites has framed his approach to city government as “systems engineering” and said he wants to “understand the process, fix the process.”3Sioux Falls Live. Longtime City Hall Critic Makes at Least Third Run at Sioux Falls Mayor Office He has referenced a forthcoming book, “What’s going on: Guide to practical local government,” which he says draws on the roughly 200 presentations he has compiled.8David Z for Mayor. Platform Summary As of 2026 the book had not been published, and no publication date, excerpts, or reviews were publicly available.16David Z for Mayor. City Council Presentations