Tyler Volesky is running for District 22 House seat
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HURON – If South Dakota Democrats hope to end a decades-long Republican “stranglehold” on state government, they must bring working class voters back into the fold by once again talking about traditional party issues, a political newcomer running for the Legislature says.
Tyler Volesky, a candidate for a District 22 House seat, may be new to the political arena, but his family name is well known around the state.
At 27, people have asked him why he wants to run for office at such a young age. He quotes John F. Kennedy, who said people are never too young or too old for public service.
“Even though I’m young and I’m a political rookie, I do have a lot of extensive political background,” Volesky said.
“I’ve probably been to more Saturday morning committee meetings than all of you, because as a young man I followed my dad (Ron) around the state Legislature,” he said at the District 22 Democratic Forum.
Volesky said he will work to attract young people voting in their first election, while also running an old-fashioned campaign of knocking on doors and meeting people of all ages in the district, which covers Beadle and Kingsbury counties.
He said while he may use Facebook and Instagram if they can effectively expand his message, he’s not a big fan of social media. He calls it self-promotion, not leadership.
“We’re going to be out in the community knocking on doors, going to the coffee shops, going to the businesses, getting back to our grassroots message, face-to-face, person-to-person communication,” Volesky said.
A 2014 graduate of Dakota Wesleyan University, he is a legal assistant, substitute teacher and youth athletics coach in Huron. Working at Abbott House, a residential treatment facility for young girls in Mitchell, helped him develop values and leadership skills, he said.
“I learned a lot there, and I learned about how the most important thing you can do is to help inspire others, inspire the young generation to follow their dreams even through tough times,” he said.
As he kicks off his campaign, Volesky said his overall message will be to convince District 22 voters that it’s time for a change in Pierre.