HURON — Sheryl Johnson, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, is set to be a guest speakers at the Democratic Forum Monday evening, along with Shane Merrill, chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party.

Johnson, who lives in Sioux Falls, is running for the seat currently held by Dusty Johnson. She will discuss her stance on issues that are important to South Dakotans and answer questions. Merrill will be available to discuss the recent State Democratic Party convention.

She describes herself as a wife, a mom, and a grandma. Her grandparents ran a dairy farm, and her parents were part-time farmers. Her husband served in the Navy during the first Gulf War, and Johnson learned the struggles of being a military spouse, raising a young child while her husband was deployed to a war zone.

“I was raised and remained a Republican for many years,” said Johnson. “But I became a Democrat as the Republican party shifted away from the ideals of freedom, inclusion, personal responsibility, and fiscal responsibility. I’ve had the same values all along, but the parties have changed. I didn’t want to belong to a party that used to be about freedom but now is all about control.”
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Johnson agrees with many South Dakotans that Congress is broken. She believes career politicians are more interested in winning the next election than fixing problems for the people who elected them.

Tuesday, Johnson will head to Redfield where she will speak to Spink County residents.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. at Ryan’s Hangar at the Crossroads. The public is invited to attend.