Meet the Candidate: Katie Washnok

Washnok running for first time in District 3

Katie Washnok is seeking her first term in the South Dakota Legislature in Senate District 3. She faces Rep. Carl Perry in the primary.

The district is made up of Aberdeen.

The Dakota Scout sent a series of questions to all legislative candidates running in contested races for the state House and Senate in the June 4 primary election. Candidates were asked to limit their responses to each question to 150 words or less.

Age: 35
City of residence: Aberdeen
Profession: Small business owner
Public service/community service experience: Junior Achievement Volunteer (2012-Present)
Brown County Republicans Secretary/Treasurer/Chairman (2015-Present)
Brown County Republicans, Chair (2018-Present)
Aldersgate Church, worship leader (2015-Present)
Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors (2016-Present
Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors President – 2023
EDGE Taskforce (young professionals) Board Liaison/founding member (2016-Present)
Aldersgate Church Administrative Board (2017-Present)
1 Million Cups Aberdeen Organization Board; founding member (2017-2022)
BIG Idea High School Business Idea Competition, Committee/Event Emcee (2018-Present)
Leadership South Dakota, Class of 2019
Northeast Area AHEC, Board Member/Treasurer (2018-2021)
Abbot House, Bridges Foster Care, Building Abbot program facilitator 2021/2022.
Aberdeen Seroma Club, Member & Storybook Land Uncorked Org Team (2022-Present) 
Aberdeen Development Corporation, Board of Directors (2023-Present)
Micropolitan Podcast, Host (2023-Present)
Family information: Husband, James - Kids, Jett (8) and Whitley (4).

1) What's the government's role in facilitating economic development in South Dakota?

The government’s role in economic development in SD should focus on two main areas: supporting local economic development organizations (EDOs) and making good long-term fiscal policy decisions. 

Local control over economic decisions is vital; no one other than residents and the leadership of the local or regional EDO knows the goals and needs of the community or region they serve. 

The second area the government should focus on is continued policy that encourages economic health and growth by changing the level and type of taxes and the composition of spending. SD has a long history of keeping taxes low, cutting where and when we can, and keeping a balanced budget. We must continue SD’s successful trajectory and be open to future adaptations to make SD even more competitive and attractive.

2) If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

If I could have dinner with anyone, I would choose South Dakota Governor George S. Mickelson. His positive impression on our state and the legacy he left is still felt today. Many I consider dear friends and mentors note Governor Mickelson as the same to them, having helped shape their subsequent impact on the world. He was the kind of person whose ripples can still be felt today. Governor Mickelson also saw value and encouraged the impact that young people could have in state government, often appointing young leaders to state boards and commissions, encouraging young people to run for office; to be sure the upcoming generation had a seat at the table and a voice in the conversation. Overall, a great human we lost too soon; someone I would have loved to learn from firsthand. 

3) Does the "Landowner Bill of Rights" -- adopted by the Legislature amid opposition to carbon pipeline companies using eminent domain -- strike the right balance between the interests of property owners, counties and the ag industry - and should voters get a say when they head to the polls in November?

First, voters should always have a say; that’s the beauty of our referendum process. I am a strong advocate for the voice of the people being heard; that’s our God-given right as Americans. Landowners' rights are pivotal to our freedoms as American Citizens; as a landowner myself, I know and vitally understand the sanctity and legacy of land to our landowners. I will always fight to protect those rights. I am an advocate for the importance of local control; as I stated above in the first question, no one more than residents and local leadership knows what’s best for their communities, and they should be governed as such. I am also an ag producer; I have not only a vested interest but a livelihood contingent on the success of agriculture in South Dakota. I don’t just talk ag markets, commodity prices, and agribusiness – I live it. Obviously, this is a way of life I am passionate about and passionate about protecting.

 Regarding SB 201, I wish a better policy could have resulted from the legislative process. I would have liked to have seen the legislature work that through. I fully support the people's right to recall through referendum and make their voices heard.