Dan Ahlers

Dan Ahlers is a Dell Rapids small-business owner, former state legislator, and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020. Born in Dell Rapids in 1973, Ahlers spent part of his childhood in Rapid City and Gillette, Wyoming, before his family returned to Dell Rapids during his high school years. He earned a B.A. in government and international affairs from Augustana University in 1997.

Ahlers served six years in the South Dakota Legislature representing District 25 — two terms in the House (2007–2008 and 2017–2018) and one term in the State Senate (2009–2010). He lost his 2018 re-election by 101 votes. In 2020 he ran as the Democratic nominee against U.S. Senator Mike Rounds.

Over more than two decades in Dell Rapids he has owned and operated several small businesses — including the Video Plus rental chain (1999–2005) and the Jabberwock Coffee House (2008–2011) — and served 12 years as president of the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce and 11 years as president of the local Haven before- and after-school program. He was hired as executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party in early 2023, briefly resigned that July citing a leadership dispute with the party chair, and returned to the role in October 2023. He and his wife Amy, his high school sweetheart, have two sons.

Ahlers announced his campaign for governor in February 2026. His platform centers on K-12 education funding, small business and family-farm support, affordable healthcare, opposition to the use of eminent domain by private companies (such as carbon-pipeline developers), and a comprehensive review of the state's tax structure. His campaign slogan is "I've Got Your Back," with the theme "For a Brighter South Dakota."