Rapid City SD – Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun announced Sunday evening that he will not run for another term in 2027, ending what will be a decade of service in city government when his current term concludes.
Salamun made the announcement in a personal Facebook post.
In a statement accompanying the post, he described the decision as one made “not lightly, but with clear eyes and deep gratitude,” writing that when his term ends he will have served Rapid City for ten years — six on the City Council and four as mayor.
“I am announcing this now so other citizens have time to consider whether they should take their turn,” Salamun wrote, adding that his “desire to serve remains unchanged” for the balance of his current term and that he intends to “bring my best and finish strong.”
Salamun said the decision followed months of deliberation. “Over the past several months, I took that time. I prayed. I talked with the people closest to me,” he wrote, adding that “a decade in local office feels complete.”
In the statement, Salamun pointed to funding and partnerships secured for the city’s sports complex, new public safety facilities and personnel, an expanding airport, and what he called “a historic investment in our streets” as accomplishments he hopes to build on through the remainder of his term.
The record
Salamun is the 54th person to serve as mayor of Rapid City. He was elected in June 2023 and took office that July. Before becoming mayor, he served six years on the Rapid City Common Council — from 2016 to 2019 and again from 2020 to 2023 — including a term as Council president in 2017-2018.
He is an Air Force veteran and previously served as vice president of Black Hills Federal Credit Union and as executive pastor at Fountain Springs Church.
What’s next
Rapid City’s next mayoral election is scheduled for June 1, with the new mayor sworn in at the first City Council meeting in July 2027.
Salamun’s announcement leaves open several questions the Sentinel will be tracking in the weeks ahead:
Who steps forward to run for the seat
How the current Council responds
What happens to the mayor’s unfinished priorities — including the sports complex financing, ongoing TIF and development deals, and the Sanford naming rights arrangement — as his final term winds down.
Sourcing
This report is based on Mayor Jason Salamun’s personal Facebook post and accompanying statement, published Sunday evening, September 13, 2026.
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