Change Agents of South Dakota endorsed our campaign with three sentences: "Young. Good communication skills. Admits he doesn't know everything." That last part is the one worth talking about.

The Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire endorsed our campaign. Before they did, they asked me hard questions about housing, growth, and what kind of council member I'd be. Here's what we talked about — and why it matters for every family in Sioux Falls.

Today I wrote a message in a children's book for a kid somewhere in this city. "There is always a place for you and your dreams." Then the timers started — and every question that followed was really about whether that's true.

Every candidate filed their campaign finance report this weekend. Ours shows 120 individual donors and $0 from PACs. The other reports tell a different story. I'll let the facts speak for themselves.

Sioux Falls has a 10-year plan for arts and culture. The research is solid, the vision is right, and the momentum is real. But a plan is only as strong as the people it reaches — and that's the conversation worth having.

In Vietnamese culture, we don't ask how you're doing. We ask if you've eaten. The right answer is always no — not because you haven't, but because the question was never really about the meal.

I've been to the Second Saturday Market before. Walked the floor, talked to vendors, watched the crowd. I thought I understood what it was. Then we got a booth — and I understood it differently.

I was out canvassing when I spotted a hopscotch game painted on a sidewalk. I stopped. I tried to jump through it while holding my phone. I failed. That's when she came outside — and we talked for twenty minutes about what it means to show up for the place you call home.

A woman named Linda sent me a letter with one question: what unique skills do you bring to city hall? When I was nine years old, I sat across from a landlord and helped my parents negotiate a lease they couldn't sign without me. The answer starts there.

We came for a party. We left with something more. Longtime friends, new faces, live music, voter registration, and a conversation about what it really means to show up — here's what happened at DaDa on May 1st.

Manufacturing accounts for one out of every ten jobs in South Dakota. The robots are coming whether we're ready or not. At a recent Industry 4.0 panel at Southeast Technical College, I sat in a room with four leaders who've spent decades at the intersection of people and technology — and left with one clear takeaway: the gap isn't the machine. It's the people trained to run it. Here's what I heard, and why it matters for every family in Sioux Falls.

The Saigon-Sol dinner at BibiSol was one of those nights you walk away from thinking — we have to do this again. So we are. Chef Jordan Taylor, and my brother Tony Danh are coming together for a one-night Hawaiian x Vietnamese dinner at Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen on May 12th. Limited Seats. This is Lửa & Lei.

Last night at the Washington Pavilion, I said the most personal thing I've ever said in public. For years, I chased someone else's metric of success — and it nearly broke me. Here's what a full room in the city that raised me helped me finally understand.

My dad delivered the Argus Leader overnight — routes from Sioux Falls all the way to Chamberlain. I rode along when I wasn't in school. When I was old enough to read, I'd go through the paper before most of the city woke up. That's where I first found Patrick Lalley — and the five words that have never left me.

Three hours. Eleven tables. Dozens of conversations about affordability, development, and how decisions get made at City Hall. The takeaway I kept coming back to: the word "investment" is quietly limiting us — and there's a better frame.

We talk about investing in the arts. But investment is a transaction — and the teachers, artists, and communities who make this city vibrant deserve more than a transaction. Here's what a Friday night at the Pavilion taught me about the difference.

Voter registration laws in South Dakota just changed. The way we party hasn't. Join us May 1st at DaDa Gastropub for live music, a live podcast, and everything you need to cast your vote on June 2nd.

There's a Vietnamese proverb my family carries: "When you eat fruit, remember who planted the tree." I shared it at a historic preservation forum tonight — but it's been the right frame for this entire week on the campaign trail.

Last weekend, the Second Saturday Market opened its season at 8th & Railroad in Downtown Sioux Falls. I've been showing up since they started — and every time I leave, I'm more convinced this is exactly what a Vibrant Community looks like. Here's why.

Showing up to volunteer for the first time can feel uncomfortable. Maybe even a little terrifying. That's okay — we'll meet you exactly where you are. Here's what to expect at our Rise Together Volunteer Training Day on April 19.