This campaign has always been about one thing. People first. Not politics. Not insiders. People. Over the past several months, something has been building quietly in…
2026 Campaign Archive
Thank you, Sioux Falls.
In 2026 I ran for Sioux Falls City Council At-Large. I made the runoff and lost to James Oppenheimer, after 175 neighbors backed this campaign with their own money and thousands more with their vote. This site is the record of that race, kept exactly as it was.
Downtown Sioux Falls, 2026
What's Next
The race ended. The work didn't.
I'm back to building. 4Front Studios, the creative agency I co-founded, keeps helping Sioux Falls businesses and nonprofits tell their stories. Vincent Gene LLC is my creative consulting and political strategy practice, and it's where I'm helping the next generation of candidates and causes.
I'm still on the board at Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc., still organizing Lunar Fest, and still showing up around town with a camera.
Most importantly, I'm excited to launch Rising Together. It carries the spirit of this campaign forward: a platform by the people, for the people, where you can find out what issues are going on in our community, get resources on how to share your voice, and find opportunities to raise the issues that matter to you. It's the next step in building a bigger table.
Meet Vince
I learned to translate before I learned much else.
My parents came to Sioux Falls in 1993 as Vietnamese refugees. They opened Phở Quỳnh, the first Vietnamese restaurant in the city, and I grew up behind that counter. At nine, I sat across from a landlord and helped my parents work through a commercial lease. By fourteen, I was in rooms with attorneys and doctors, bridging gaps no kid should have to bridge alone.
In a restaurant there's a swinging door between the kitchen and the dining room. My parents spent their lives in the kitchen so I could stand in the dining room. Running for City Council was one way of trying to make sure that dining room stays open to everyone, not just the people who already know how to find the door.
I ran for Sioux Falls City Council At-Large in 2026 and lost the runoff to James Oppenheimer. That race was one expression of this work. It was never the whole of it, and it isn't over just because the race is.
What I Ran On
Three questions I asked of everything
01
Responsible Growth
Growth only works when you ask who it serves. Streets, water, and public safety should run ahead of new rooftops, not chase them.
02
Vibrant Community
Arts, small businesses, and public spaces aren't extras. They're infrastructure for connection, and they deserve to be treated that way.
03
Equal Opportunity
Opportunity shouldn't stop at a zip code. The gap between City Hall and the kitchen table is a design problem, and design problems have solutions.
Blog
58 posts from the campaign, kept at their original addresses
Everything written during the 2026 campaign is archived here, unedited, at the same web addresses it was originally published at. Old links, bookmarks, and search results still work.
!Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the…
Vince has been endorsed by the Transformation Project Advocacy Network (TPAN). The Transformation Project Advocacy Network advocates for the dignity, safety, and equity…
Vince has been endorsed by Let Sioux Falls Vote. Let Sioux Falls Vote didn't endorse me after one meeting. They watched me show up to their Community Conversations over…
!Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the 2026 campaign !Photo from the…
A home in Sioux Falls isn't just a mortgage. It's a bus route. It's swim lessons for your kids. It's whether you can take your family to the zoo on a Saturday without…
Media Coverage
The race, as it was reported
Local coverage of the campaign, from launch to the runoff.
Vince Danh announces run for Sioux Falls City Council
Dakota News Now · October 21, 2025
Read the article →Small-business owner, community leader enters race for Sioux Falls City Council
The Dakota Scout · October 21, 2025
Read the article →City Council candidates rack up fundraising totals as Sioux Falls election nears
Sioux Falls Live
Read the article →What we know so far in the 2026 city election
Sioux Falls Simplified · February 6, 2026
Read the article →Your guide to the At-Large A City Council run-off candidates
Sioux Falls Simplified
Read the article →Runoff victories send Oppenheimer, Pankonin, Okuwe to Sioux Falls City Council
The Dakota Scout · June 24, 2026
Read the article →Oppenheimer, Okuwe, and Pankonin take City Council elections
Dakota News Now · June 24, 2026
Read the article →Linked out to the original publishers. Vince doesn't control what these outlets say or how long the links stay live.
In Vince's Words
Always grateful, and still rising.
We didn't win this race. But we did something bigger.
We electrified an electorate. We brought new voters to the table, young people, new voices, different faces, and we reminded Sioux Falls that democracy works when more people show up. We widened the door. We built a bigger table. And we proved that a movement built on people-first values can take root right here.
This isn't an ending. It's a chapter.
Our movement pivots. I'll be shifting my focus to supporting candidates in races across the state and nationally, because what we built here doesn't stop at city limits.
To Mr. Oppenheimer: you ran a strong race. You stuck to your strengths, stayed positive, and competed with character. Too often, voters feel stuck choosing the lesser of two evils. Our race was different. It was a contest between two people who genuinely cared about this city. I look forward to supporting your work in city hall, and I'll always offer my time and expertise however I can.
To Team Vince: Susan, Kelly, Frances, Will, and Rachel. You didn't stand behind me. You stood beside me. I could not have dreamed we'd come this far. Thank you for challenging me, and for celebrating me.
To my family: my brothers, my godparents, my mom and dad. You believed in me always. Especially when I said I wanted to go all in on this adventure.
To our friends in the community: thank you for opening your homes, your businesses, your networks, and your platforms. You showed me we didn't just build a moment. We built a movement.
"Let's rise together" was our campaign theme and our rallying call. The thing about that statement is it doesn't have a destination. It's a continual journey. And as long as we keep showing up, for ourselves, for each other, for this city, we will lift each other up.
Always grateful.
Vince Danh