Gideon Oakes

Gideon Oakes

Libertarian Party of South Dakota Vice Chair

Tenure

Present officeholder

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Stevens High School

Bachelor's

Utah State University, 2009

Personal

Profession

Small business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Gideon Oakes is an officeholder of the Libertarian Party of South Dakota Vice Chair.

Oakes (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Oakes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Gideon Oakes earned a bachelor's degree from Utah State University in 2009. His professional experience includes working as a small business owner, EMT, real estate broker associate, graphic designer, and landlord. Oakes served on the board of trustees for the Town Board of Keystone from 2012 to 2016, on the board of directors of the Holy Terror Days Association from 2010 to 2016, on the board of trustees of the Keystone Fire Protection District from 2010 to 2014, on the board of directors of the United Way of the Southern Black Hills from 2011 to 2013, on the board of directors of the Black Hills & Badlands Association from 2011 to 2013, and as a member and webmaster of the Rapid City Noon Cosmopolitan Club from 2010 to 2012.

Elections

2024

See also: South Dakota Public Utilities Commission election, 2024

General election

General election for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

Incumbent Kristie Fiegen defeated Forrest Wilson and Gideon Oakes in the general election for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kristie Fiegen (R)	67.8	272,099
	Submit photo	Forrest Wilson (D)	26.9	108,029
		Gideon Oakes (L)	5.3	21,176

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 401,304
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic convention

Democratic convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

Forrest Wilson advanced from the Democratic convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on June 15, 2024.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Forrest Wilson (D)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican convention

Republican convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

Incumbent Kristie Fiegen defeated Amber Christenson in the Republican convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on June 8, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Kristie Fiegen (R)
	Submit photo	Amber Christenson (R)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

Gideon Oakes advanced from the Libertarian convention for South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on June 29, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Gideon Oakes (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Oakes in this election.

2020

See also: South Dakota State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for South Dakota State Senate District 30

Julie Frye-Mueller defeated Gideon Oakes in the general election for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julie Frye-Mueller (R)	71.3	10,043
		Gideon Oakes (L)	28.7	4,046

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 14,089
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30

Julie Frye-Mueller defeated George Kotti in the Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julie Frye-Mueller	51.9	2,477
	Submit photo	George Kotti	48.1	2,297

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,774 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Lance Russell (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for South Dakota State Senate District 30

Gideon Oakes advanced from the Libertarian convention for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on May 9, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Gideon Oakes (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: South Dakota State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for South Dakota State Senate District 30

Incumbent Lance Russell defeated Kristine Winter and Gideon Oakes in the general election for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lance Russell (R)	56.7	6,652
	Submit photo	Kristine Winter (D)	25.1	2,943
		Gideon Oakes (L)	18.2	2,134

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,729
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30

Kristine Winter advanced from the Democratic primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Kristine Winter

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30

Incumbent Lance Russell defeated Bruce Rampelberg and Patricia Shiery in the Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lance Russell	58.1	2,547
		Bruce Rampelberg	29.3	1,283
	Submit photo	Patricia Shiery	12.7	556

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 4,386
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released June 11, 2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Gideon Oakes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Oakes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a fourth-generation South Dakotan, I love our state and our people. When Mary and I chose to start our family, we never considered doing it anywhere else. This is our home, and it’s worth protecting.

That’s why I’m running for Public Utilities Commissioner. I want to help ensure that my children and grandchildren grow up with infrastructure that is both secure and up to date. They should never have to wonder if the lights will turn on when it’s dark, or if their furnace will start when it’s cold. They should also have the ability to access the technology they need to eventually take part in an evolving and connected workforce.

I’m a husband, a father, a friend and a neighbor, seeking to do what’s best for my state. I believe government service should be a calling, not a career. Our government has enough career politicians in it. In fact, the current three-member commission has nearly half a century of combined tenure. I say it’s time for someone with a fresh perspective.

I’m a small business owner and a volunteer EMT in my hometown of Keystone. My family owns and operates a seasonal bed and breakfast and cabins. In addition to the family business, I have worked throughout my career in the technology and logistics sectors.

I was honored to be elected twice to the town board of Keystone, and outside of politics, I have been active for many years in the civic community.

I ask for your support this November. Help me bring that fresh perspective and new ideas to the PUC.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• For the past 13 years, the incumbent has held this position since first being appointed in 2011. She now wants to make it 19. Collectively, the three commissioners have been in office for 48 years — almost half a century. I believe elected office should be a calling, not a career. Experience is a valuable asset for any decision-maker, but it’s time to ask ourselves if we’ve truly benefited from THAT long of a tenure.
• I will encourage prioritization of maintenance and upgrades to our utility infrastructure. Redundancy means helping to prevent the kind of power outages that disrupt life and harm local businesses (think North Carolina’s transformer attacks and Texas’ cold wave blackouts). This is more than energy policy — it’s about ensuring the stability and prosperity of our communities. Additionally, I will work to foster more localized energy production. By encouraging individual and community-based generation, we can reduce our reliance on external sources and keep energy dollars within our local economies.
• Redundancy is an important component of reliability, and renewable energy sources have the potential to be very important arrows in our quiver. If elected, I will work wherever I can to remove barriers to emerging energy technologies, including those in the areas of wind, solar and next-generation nuclear energy (wherein amazing breakthroughs are being made from modular plant construction, to zero-emission energy production, to the upcycling of spent fuel). By reducing barriers, we can allow market demand and innovation to drive development of these resources. Protecting property rights and encouraging competition wherever feasible are also cornerstones of my campaign.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The three S's: security, supply and siting. The more connected we become, the greater the threats grow, whether in the form of cyberattacks or physical attacks on the grid. Security must be a top priority of our utilities and their regulators. Right behind security is supply. Again, as demand grows, from the rise of big data centers to electric vehicles, we must stand ready to produce the energy the market demands. The third issue is utility siting, which has already been at the forefront of people's minds lately, and I doubt it will become any less pressing in coming years.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Our energy policies need to reflect the interests, the well-being and the values of the people of South Dakota. That’s who I’m running to represent.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Approachability and transparency. If elected, I will hold regular town hall meetings and open forums to hear your concerns as well as your ideas. I’ve often said if I’m the smartest man in the room, then it’s a room I don’t want to stay in for very long. And I mean that. The best solutions come from the ground up, not from the top down. Not from administrators and commissioners, but from the folks whose lives their actions directly impact. Your input will guide my decisions, and I will always be available to answer your questions and address your concerns. I promise not to hide in my office.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was folding t-shirts at Mount Rushmore for the summer. In high school, I started a dialup internet service provider and witnessed first-hand the importance of thoughtful and careful telecom regulation. After college, I owned and operated two restaurants and a coffee shop. I went on to work as a real estate agent and for technology and logistics companies, eventually landing a job at Zillow right before their massive layoffs of 2022. I also worked for the national Libertarian Party before deciding to get into the “less-stressful” field of emergency medicine. I currently volunteer as an EMT in Keystone in addition to running our family businesses.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Gideon Oakes' campaign website stated the following:

“

WHAT ARE MY GOALS? Secure and upgrade utility infrastructure Expand access to wired broadband options Increase utility competition where it will benefit the public Advocate for utility customers and landowners Improve and protect our utilities for future generations WHY GIDEON OAKES? As a fourth-generation South Dakotan, I love our state and our people. When Mary and I chose to start our family, we never considered doing it anywhere else. This is our home, and it’s worth protecting. That’s why I’m running for Public Utilities Commissioner. I want to help ensure that my children and grandchildren grow up with infrastructure that is both secure and up to date. They should never have to wonder if the lights will turn on when it’s dark, or if their furnace will start when it’s cold. They should also have the ability to access the technology they need to eventually take part in an ever-evolving and connected workforce. I’m a husband, a father, a friend and a neighbor, seeking to do what’s best for my state. I believe government service should be a calling, not a career. Our government has enough career politicians in it. In fact, the current three-member commission has nearly half a century of combined tenure. I say it’s time for someone with a fresh perspective. Rather than constantly thinking about the next election or bowing to the will of special interests that can raise money for me, I will be a consistent advocate for the public, including utility subscribers and landowners alike. I’m a small business owner and a volunteer EMT in my hometown of Keystone. My family owns and operates a seasonal bed and breakfast and cabins. In addition to the family business, I have worked throughout my career in the technology and logistics sectors. I was honored to be elected twice to the town board of Keystone, and outside of politics, I have been active for many years in the civic community, including organizing the Haunting of Keystone and serving on the Boards of Black Hills & Badlands Association, the Keystone Rural Fire Protection District and United Way of the Southern Black Hills. I ask for your support this November. Help me bring that fresh perspective and new ideas to the PUC.

”

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released September 3, 2018

Gideon Oakes completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Oakes' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Hi everyone! My name is Gideon Oakes, and I'm running for state senate. I work as a real estate agent, graphic designer and landlord. Previously, my wife and I owned and operated Teddy's Deli, a sandwich shop in Keystone.

Between 2009-19, I served on the board of the Town of Keystone (two terms), Keystone Economic Development Association, Black Hills Association of Realtors Outreach Committee, Holy Terror Days Association/The Haunting of Keystone, Keystone Rural Fire Protection District, Keystone Chamber of Commerce, United Way of the Southern Black Hills, Black Hills & Badlands Association and the Libertarian Party of South Dakota.

I am a fourth-generation South Dakotan. My great-grandfather, Cecil Clyde "C.C." Gideon, helped Sen. Peter Norbeck lay out Iron Mountain Road, designed the Pigtail Bridges, built and operated the State Game Lodge, designed Gutzon Borglum's first artist studio and became the first private concessionaire at Mount Rushmore.

I have a 102-year vested interest in making sure our area and our state continue to thrive. In addition to leadership experience, I bring a new set of eyes and ears to the table. District 30 deserves a fresh perspective and a state senator who can tackle tough issues with diplomacy, creativity and approachability.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I will work hard for the ranchers, farmers and others who work so hard for us.
• I will stand up for the rights of all South Dakotans, not just those who look, think or pray like me.
• I will work to reduce government spending and return power to the People.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

One of my main priorities will be helping ranchers get themselves out of the hopeless situation of the supply chain being controlled by the packer bottleneck.

When Teddy Roosevelt broke up the monopolies at the beginning of the last century, the six biggest packers controlled about half of the market. Now, the "big four" control close to 90 percent of the market and are able to buy the very best lobbyists in D.C.

At the state level, change begins with the creation or expansion of local meat processing co-ops, such as the one currently being formed by ranchers in southern Custer and Fall River counties. More processing throughput means fewer production bottlenecks. Additionally, we must follow Wyoming's lead and enact food freedom legislation that will allow our farmers and ranchers the opportunity to market their livestock and other products directly.

When I ran for state Senate in 2018, my team and I knocked on more than 3,500 doors around the district. That truly helped me build genuine connections with the people of District 30. This year, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, we will be very close to that number again. That's something that cannot be duplicated with money and mail pieces. Postcards and billboards are about "me," but real-life conversations are about "us". We need our community leaders to be effective, reasonable and approachable. That's what I offer, and that's why I am running to represent my neighbors.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Reason:

I will look at each bill rationally, on its own merit, and not simply because the party bosses or special interest groups tell me to vote a certain way. Having an open mind and consulting subject-matter experts does not make for a weak legislator, it makes for a strong one.

Respect:
In addition to working for inclusivity at all levels, I will also work to lower the temperature of political rhetoric in our state, not raise it. As the first third-party legislator, I will work to unify Pierre, not further divide it.

Responsiveness:
As the people's representative in the senate, I will make accessibility a top priority. While I realize it's not feasible to consult every voter on every single bill, I will constantly seek input and listen to those outside the echo chamber.

Role of Government:

I believe the best solutions almost always come from the market, and that the government's role is to enable the market, not restrict it. Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy of being an open communicator and a responsive public servant. I hope people will look back on my time in office and know that I made decisions based on what I thought was best for my constituents, not any political party or special interest group.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

While I didn't understand the significance, I have faint memories of watching the Berlin Wall come down. I was about five at the time. Now, 30 years later, those images and the symbolism behind them are as poignant as ever.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I have a few different "first jobs", depending on your definition.

My very first summer job as a teenager was folding t-shirts at Mount Rushmore. It taught me a lot about persistence, and to this day, I always do my best to neatly refold garments anytime I'm shopping.

The first business I started came about during the summer after my freshman year in high school. I was just learning web design at the time, and an opportunity came up to start a dialup internet service provider. Yes, I'm kind of a nerd. (My wife says, "Kind of?") It actually became successful enough that I had to "drop out" of my sophomore year - technically, I did independent study/homeschooling - and figure out a way to run the business and actually stay in school. Fortunately, I did figure it out, and I graduated from Stevens High School.

I hired my first employees when I started Teddy's Deli. In total, I ran it for nine years, employing more than a hundred people during that time.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Atlas Shrugged. I'm big on individual responsibility and economic liberty, as well as letting innovators take the market where it should naturally go.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Blinding Lights by The Weeknd

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I wish every legislator had the opportunity to serve in municipal government before moving on to the legislature. We'd certainly have a lot more thoughtful, rational legislators, rather than folks who go to Pierre with a single agenda on their mind and then find themselves winging the rest. Knowing how your own hometown functions is critical before going to Pierre and voting on laws that affect everyone else's hometowns.

Serving on the Keystone town board was an experience full of unique challenges. I like to call Keystone the biggest little town in the Black Hills. Even though we have a year-round population of fewer than 350 people, we maintain an infrastructure to support several thousand people on any given summer day. When you compare Keystone's budget to those of similarly sized towns, the numbers paint a picture of a much bigger city.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Gideon Oakes campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	South Dakota Public Utilities Commission	Lost general	$0	$0
2020	South Dakota State Senate District 30	Lost general	$10,131	N/A**
2018	South Dakota State Senate District 30	Lost general	$14,525	N/A**
Grand total			$24,656	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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