MADISON — Retired Lake County Sheriff Tim Walburg has entered the race to serve District 8 in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

Walburg and his wife, Deb, have two adult children, Katlyn and Alex. Walburg’s experience as a first responder and lifelong commitment to build safe communities for his family and all South Dakotans are the driving force behind Walburg wanting to bring his leadership and knowledge to the Legislature.

“I care deeply about our region and the issues important to our residents—public safety, healthcare, education, and infrastructure,” Walburg said in a news release from his campaign. “My experiences have taught me that when people come together to work toward a solution, we can tackle any problem. I look forward to joining my Republican colleagues on a conservative approach to addressing South Dakota’s challenges.”

Walburg has dedicated decades of his life to serving his community. For 30 years, his law enforcement career included service as a correctional officer, deputy sheriff, assistant police chief and chief deputy. In 2012, he was appointed Lake County sheriff and retired earlier this year. Walburg also has 30 years of experience in emergency medical services, including 18 years at Madison Regional Health Systems, where he currently serves as a paramedic. Walburg has been active in the community, serving as a member of the Madison Housing and Redevelopment Commission for Lake, Miner and McCook counties, the Trinity Lutheran Church council and the Community Counseling board of directors.

Walburg has achieved success working with lawmakers in Pierre. He was an active member of the South Dakota Sheriffs Association, including serving as the association’s president in 2022.

“It was been an honor to serve the people for the past 30 years,” Walburg said. “Deb and I are energized for this next step in our public service journey to bring conservative values and decades of experience to the State House.”

Due to term limits, one of District 8’s two House seats will be vacant in the 2024 election. Voters will have the opportunity to select two Republican nominees to move on to the November general election.

District 8 includes the counties of Kingsbury, Lake, Miner and rural Brookings. The primary election is June 4, and the general election Nov. 5.