A City Council candidate is getting campaign support from the official she hopes to succeed.
City Councilman Kermit Staggers opted not to seek re-election for the at-large seat he’s held since 2012 due to a series of health issues that have plagued him of late. But the veteran policymaker isn’t done trying to influence city politics.
Community activist Theresa Stehly, one of three vying for Staggers’ open seat, this week sent out mailers to 10,000 households showcasing the endorsement her candidacy has received from Staggers, a veteran policymaker who’s spent decades in public office, including 12 years on the Sioux Falls City Council.
“I know (Stehly) is a person of real integrity, hard-working and wants to do the best thing she can for the citizens of Sioux Falls,†Staggers said Tuesday.
Staggers worked with Stehly in the lead up to the 2014 vote when residents mandated the use of snow gates. Stehly said she and Staggers have been allies for more than 10 years.
“Kermit has been one of the few elected officials I’ve ever known who’s been able to keep the hooks of special interest out of his skin,” she said.
Theresa was also the exclusive speaker today at a meeting of the Sioux Falls Retired Teachers Association, about 40 teachers were in attendance.