District 17 race at a glance
South Dakota’s 2026 general election for State House District 17 is set for Nov. 3, 2026. The contest includes Republican incumbents Chris Kassin and William Shorma.
Both candidates enter the election while already serving in office. An incumbent is a current officeholder seeking another term. Because Kassin and Shorma are both Republicans, the candidate field does not present a choice between nominees from different political parties.
The race is classified as contested. That means District 17 voters have a choice of candidates in the State House election rather than seeing a single candidate listed for the race.
The candidates
Chris Kassin, Republican
Kassin is running as an incumbent Republican in State House District 17. His status as an incumbent means voters can consider him as a current officeholder when making their 2026 general election choice. Kassin will appear in the same contested District 17 race as Shorma, another Republican incumbent.
William Shorma, Republican
Shorma is running as an incumbent Republican in State House District 17. His status as an incumbent means voters can consider him as a current officeholder when making their 2026 general election choice. Shorma will appear in the same contested District 17 race as Kassin, another Republican incumbent.
What is contested
The central feature of the District 17 field is that both candidates share the same party affiliation and both hold incumbent status. The general election choice is therefore between two Republican officeholders rather than between an incumbent and a challenger or candidates carrying different party labels.
Party affiliation tells voters how each candidate will be identified on the ballot, while incumbent status tells voters that each candidate currently holds the office. Those labels do not explain how the candidates may differ on legislation, district priorities or other issues. Voters can follow the campaign for statements from Kassin and Shorma about their priorities before Election Day.
Neither candidate receives different treatment in the structure of this preview: each is a Republican incumbent running in the same contested race, and each will be considered by District 17 voters in the Nov. 3 general election.
Election date and next steps
The District 17 contest will be decided as part of South Dakota’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Between now and Election Day, the main developments to watch are candidate statements about policy, public campaign activity and official election information for District 17 voters.
The ballot presents the formal choice. Voters can use the candidates’ names, party affiliations, incumbent status and any campaign positions they announce to evaluate the race before casting a ballot.
