Dennis Finch, a longtime Rapid City attorney and former South Dakota Secretary of Labor, is a candidate for the State Senate in District 33. Finch, a Democrat and South Dakota native, has lived in Rapid City since 1978.

Finch said the state's economic development effort needs new life breathed into it, and he believes that education funding is a key component of that.

"In the last session of the Legislature, the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce pushed for better education funding because they understood how important it is to economic development," Finch said. "I have proven experience as the head of a state agency directly involved in economic development and have also been involved in the operation of a successful small business in Rapid City."

He was state labor secretary for Gov. Richard Kneip and is now the senior partner in the Finch, Bettmann, Maks and Hogue law firm.

Peers recently cited Finch's work among the best in the country in the field of worker's compensation. He also has achieved success as a mediator in settling worker's compensation disputes between injured workers and insurance companies.

"This success has been due in part to my experience but also largely because of my ability to work with both sides and persuade them to agree. I believe I can carry that same ability to Pierre and work to find solutions in a bipartisan manner," he said.

Finch says his interests and community service efforts make him a well-rounded representative for the district. He is a director of the Black Hills Sportsmen and the Dakota Territory International Visitors Program. His memberships include the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, NRA, Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce, Dakota Territory Dance Club and the Black Hills Corvette Club.

District 33 consists of part of Rapid City, Black Hawk, Box Elder, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Johnson Siding, Countryside, Countryside South, Red Rock, Lakota Homes, Mall Ridge, and communities along Nemo Road, Rimrock Highway and Sheridan Lake Road.