BrookingsNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Brookings City Council Election 2026

2 of 7 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 6, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 4 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Election day (Nov 3): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Five candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot for two at-large City Council seats, and every voter in Brookings votes in the contest.

Election day · Nov 3

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Dacotah Bank Center3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe City Council passed Resolution 26-062 on Sept. 22, 2026 to hire an owner's representative and seek architects and a construction manager for renovating and redeveloping the center.

What's on the tableHow the renovation is designed, paid for and used once the management contract ends.

  • The city's management contract for the Dacotah Bank Center is set to expire at the end of 2026. City of Brookings
  • In a March 2026 survey of 1,426 people, 35 percent preferred a hybrid events and recreation model, 30 percent an events-focused venue and 24 percent a recreation-focused facility. City of Brookings
  • Resolution 26-062 says a stakeholder workgroup recommended renovation and redevelopment of the Dacotah Bank Center. City of Brookings · Sep 22, 2026
02Housing costs3 sourced facts

Where it standsCandidates at the Sept. 26 forum named affordable housing or affordable living as a leading issue.

What's on the tableWhich incentives, zoning decisions and development approvals the council uses to affect housing costs.

03Economic development2 sourced facts

Where it standsCandidates discussed attracting retailers, industry and jobs at a Brookings Regional Growth Alliance forum on Sept. 26.

What's on the tableWhether and how the city offers incentives to businesses.

04City spending and the budget2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council held Budget Workshop #1 on Sept. 8, 2026.

What's on the tableHow the city sets its operating budget, outside agency funding and spending priorities.

2 notes on these statements

Lisa Hager was appointed to the City Council in April 2025 to fill a vacant seat, and the seat is up for election in 2026. City of Brookings

Brianna Doran, Lisa Hager, Al Austreim, Shawn Hostler and Wade Wantoch all took part in the Sept. 26 candidate forum. Brookings Register · Oct 2, 2026

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should the council do about the Dacotah Bank Center plan?

  2. 2. How should the city try to make housing more affordable?

  3. 3. What should lead Brookings' economic development?

  4. 4. What should guide the city's spending decisions?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted4 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Brookings is runWho runs Brookings, and what it costsThe city manager earns $224,103. See council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.

Key dates

The seat math

5 stay (not up this year): Wayne Avery, Holly Tilton Byrne, Oepke "Ope" Niemeyer, Bonny Specker, Nick Wendell2 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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