Steve Duffy
Steve Duffy is a fourth-generation West River South Dakotan, born and raised in Fort Pierre, who has lived in Rapid City's District 32 for more than 40 years. He earned a BA from Arizona State University and an MBA from the University of South Dakota, spent 35 years in Rapid City broadcasting and cable — including 23 years as a sales executive at KOTA-TV — and now runs a small residential rental business. First elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2024, he serves on House Commerce & Energy and House Transportation.
Why they’re
Sensible
Duffy is the kind of pragmatic, business-minded legislator the Black Hills corridor needs as Ellsworth prepares for the B-21. He has spent his career in Rapid City media and small business, and he brings that operator's mindset to Pierre — pushing for workforce housing, airport capacity, and technical-college investment rather than the session's louder culture fights. On schools he's candid and unifying: he chose private school for his own kids but told a Rapid City crackerbarrel 'If you don't have a good public-education system, you have nothing.' He shows up to constituent forums, keeps his criticism substantive (warning a $2.5 trillion federal debt add-on is unsustainable for future South Dakotans), and treats disagreements as policy problems, not personal ones.
Key positions
“I support smart growth, low tax burden, cutting government red tape and personal responsibility.”
“Rapid City faces a shortage of 3,000-4,000 units, with particular need for multi-family housing and accommodation for 1,600 jobs accompanying the B-21 at Ellsworth.”
“We just made a decision with our checkbook. If you want to do that, good on you. But I always push for public schools. If you don't have a good public-education system, you have nothing.”
“The issue I'm most passionate about is creating smart growth jobs that allow South Dakota residents to have an option to stay.”
“You can't grow, you can't do anything when you're borrowing. And empires don't die from wars. Generally, they just go broke. I do not think we can take another two and a half trillion dollars onto that thing right now.”
“Curiosity. There are some tough issues facing the state right now.”
Notable votes & actions
Also running for
SD State House · District 32
Every other candidate filed for this seat, listed for transparency. Our Sensible slate reflects the full field — not just a single pick.