Sonja Mentzer

Background

Mentzer, 47, is director of operations for Wheelchair Express. She said she decided to run after seeing nursing homes close across South Dakota and said she was frustrated by not receiving responses to her legislative emails.

Sources: Meet the Dist. 11 folks who want to represent you in Pierre

What the candidate has said

Statements are attributed to the linked sources.

• Education funding

  She supports meeting statutory funding requirements for public education and making education the first budget priority.

  Meet the Dist. 11 folks who want to represent you in Pierre

• Data centers

  She supports guardrails to protect communities and natural resources from data-center impacts, while not opposing economic development or technology opportunities generally.

  Meet the Dist. 11 folks who want to represent you in Pierre

• School choice

  She opposes using public tax dollars for private schools and says public tax dollars should go to public schools.

  School choice? We asked state legislative candidates their take