Mitchell, SD– State Representative Jeff Bathke announces his re-election campaign, representing District 20 and the great State of South Dakota. District 20 includes the communities and citizens of Jerauld, Sanborn, Miner and Davison Counties.

Representative Bathke has spent the last six months deployed to the Middle East, conducting operations in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. “I don’t like missing the 2026 Session, but maintaining stability in the Middle East has a direct effect on the residents of South Dakota. I am proud of our accomplishments here, and God willing, will return to South Dakota in the Spring.”

Bathke currently serves as the Command Sergeant Major of the 650th Regional Support Group in Sloan, NV. He has completed two previous deployments, serving in several countries to include Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. “Considering the current activity in the Middle East, this has been a very interesting mission. We have troops in harm’s way across several countries and hope for the best, so we all come home safe.”

Bathke’s reliable presence in the legislature utilizes his experience in local and state government, as well as his military career. “In the last session, there were many bills related to state and local government, as well as prison construction and reform. Spending the first half of my career working in the SD Prison System, and the second half in Planning & Zoning and Emergency Management for Davison County, I found myself highly involved in legislative discussions. My goal is to leave this place a little better than I found it, for my five grandchildren.”

Bathke serves on the House Taxation and Local Government Committees. He uses a common-sense approach to maintain local control and eliminate un-needed government regulation. His previous accomplishments revolve around funding for 911, agricultural drainage, Veteran’s headstones, and the Veteran’s Cemetery. “I try to maintain regular contact with the local government leaders, small businesses, and school administrators, the true experts in the community”. Bathke sees the most important issues in 2026 as property tax relief, data centers, funding for the Big Three (Education, State Employees, and Healthcare Providers), and prison reform.

Representative Bathke can be reached at jeff.bathke@sdlegislature.gov