Welcome to my farm. I grew up here. I learned the value of hard work here. I saw first-hand how taking care of the land is important for next year’s crop and imperative when thinking and planning how that land is preserved for the next generation. My father demonstrated that for me. He taught me the practice of establishing trees and grassy areas for the benefit of the soil and wildlife and for the grazing of cattle.

This strong connection to the land and the people who live here has led me to seek public office in order to serve the people of South Dakota. As a Public Utilities Commissioner my primary role is to protect customers of utility companies. The PUC has the legal authority to regulate some utility companies but with others, we only have the ability to collaborate on improving service to their customers. Part of my mission as a commissioner is to work with these companies to leverage federal universal service funds and their private capital to build broadband into new areas of our state and close the gap in broadband availability in South Dakota. Failure here is not an option as South Dakotans now compete and sell into the global economy.”

–  Chris Nelson, Public Utilities Commissioner of South Dakota