Hulse, Frye-Mueller vie for District 30 Senate

The race is on for the June 2 primary election as Republicans Amber Hulse and Julie Frye-Mueller vie for the office of South Dakota State Senator in District 30.

Incumbent Hulse is an attorney at Dhillon Law Group, and a lifelong District 30 resident, having grown up in Hot Springs. She currently serves as vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and previously served as Miss South Dakota, representing South Dakota nationally.

“I have also been involved in conservative women’s leadership and Republican grassroots organizing with the South Dakota and National Federation of Republican Women,” said Hulse.

Before running for office, Hulse worked at the state and federal level for Gov. Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Shantel Krebs, U.S. Sens. John Thune and Cynthia Lummis, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley on the Senate Judiciary Committee and in the Trump White House. 

Having been interested in public service since she was a child, Hulse decided to run because she was “tired of watching District 30 get treated like an afterthought. It started with the VA Hospital around 2013, and I knew then that the Southern Hills needed a louder and more effective voice in order to have a real seat at the table.”

Hulse is now seeking re-election, saying, “I have proven that District 30 can have a strong, effective voice in Pierre, and I am just getting started. In my first two years, I passed 21 pieces of legislation, several of them unanimously. That record matters because it shows I do not just talk about conservative results, I deliver them.”

As for what qualities she brings to the position, Hulse said she brings the work ethic of a rural South Dakotan, along with a political, constitutional and election law background.

“That experience matters. District 30 does not need a seat warmer or a dissenting voice. It needs an effective one. It needs someone who can read the fine print, challenge the bureaucracy, build relationships and move the ball. My national-level legal work and connections help me bring attention, resources and results back home,” said Hulse. 

On the topic of property taxes, Hulse said she was extremely proud of the progress made.

“Your 2027 and 2028 property tax bills should look a whole lot better, and based on the projections, should return to about the 2020 amount, depending on where you live and the taxing district your house is in. Bottom line, the average home ($325,000) will see savings of $1,000,” said Hulse. 

For those saying, “We’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Hulse said residents would have to be spending over $180,000 a year on taxable purchases to see a noticeable difference. 

“I am proud to say I passed my own property tax bill (SB 154), clarifying the law on garages and outbuildings, which will save some District 30 (and specifically Custer County) taxpayers up to $269 per $100,000 of valuation on those buildings. That is real money back in people’s pockets,” said Hulse. 

Nevertheless, Hulse said the mission is not yet accomplished and property taxes will continue to remain one of her top priorities. 

“We need to limit year-over-year increases in taxable valuations. We need to fix the assessment process so similar homes are treated similarly across the state. We need more transparency when local governments seek opt-outs, and taxpayers deserve clear notice before their taxes go up. We also need a fairer appeals process so property owners are not forced to spend more fighting the government than they could ever hope to save. The government should not be able to tax people out of the homes, ranches and communities they built,” said Hulse. 

As for SB 243, Hulse said while she would love to eliminate property taxes, it was not right for South Dakota. Hulse said the bill did not make property taxes disappear, would hit low-income families the hardest and did not work mathematically. 

“Even worse, that money would have gone straight to Pierre with no real mechanism to send it back here to us, and no guarantee it would be used for the purpose voters were promised. I believe in real property tax relief, but I also believe in local control. Property taxes fund local schools, roads, law enforcement, fire protection and county services. I do not want District 30 begging Pierre for permission to pay our deputies’ salaries, fix roads or keep essential services running,” said Hulse. 

Besides property taxes, Hulse said the biggest issues facing District 30 are protection for veterans and ensuring preparedness for wildfires. 

“I will continue fighting to protect the Hot Springs VA, preserve access to care close to home and make sure decisions about our veterans are not made by bureaucrats who do not understand what that hospital means to our community. Our veterans kept their promises to this country, and we have a duty to keep our promises to them.

“Wildfire is also one of the most serious threats facing District 30. We need stronger mitigation plans, better coordination between local, state, federal and utility partners and a serious conversation about power shutoffs, forest management and the liability changes that have taken place over the last few years. People in the Black Hills should not be left wondering who is responsible, who is prepared and who will be held accountable when the next fire comes,” said Hulse. 

Additionally, Hulse said she will focus on cleaner elections, free speech and press protections, stronger constitutional protections, less bureaucracy and “real results for District 30.”

“I am not running to hold a title. I am running because I love this district, because I know what it means to fight for the place that raised you and because District 30 deserves someone who will not be ignored. I bring legal expertise, conservative values, national-level experience and a track record of delivering results,” said Hulse. 

Ultimately, Hulse said serving District 30 is one of the greatest honors of her life.

“I know people are frustrated. They are tired of rising costs, tired of property taxes going up, tired of government excuses and tired of feeling like rural South Dakota is the last place considered and the first place forgotten,” said Hulse. “I believe District 30 deserves better. We deserve a senator who answers the phone, does the homework, challenges the system and refuses to let our communities be pushed aside. That is how I have tried to serve, and that is how I will continue to serve.”

Also on the ballot, Frye-Mueller served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2017-20 and in the South Dakota State Senate from 2021-24. Now semi-retired, Frye-Mueller has lived in District 30 for 26 years and currently resides south of Rapid City near Hwy. 16. 

Over the last 40 years, Frye-Mueller has volunteered and served with many different organizations. Soon after the 2025 Legislative Session and during the 2026 Legislative Session, Frye-Muller said many senators and representatives that she previously served with asked her to run for office again. 

When asked why she ultimately decided to run, Frye-Mueller said, “I am extremely disappointed with the current senator’s (and representatives’) voting records that do not represent conservative Republican values or our rights. Those bad votes can negatively affect all of us in South Dakota. There are three levels of government, and the legislative branch is supposed to work for ‘We the People,’ and we are not getting that.” 

As for what qualities she brings to the position, Frye-Mueller said the knowledge that she gained by serving in the legislature for eight years on five different committees was “extremely valuable.” 

“I served on Education, Local Government, Health and Human Services, Transportation and Ag and Natural Resources. I have also been blessed to work with South Dakota Canvassing on election integrity bills throughout the years. 

“Having many decades of life and business experience is a definite advantage to being a legislator. I can bring back to this position the support of the Republican platform, which we should expect from all of our Republican legislators. I continue to get calls from all over the state from residents who need help and they tell me that their legislators do not respond back to them. I do listen to the situation they are in and do my best to help them, and together we have been successful at times,” said Frye-Mueller. 

On the topic of property taxes, Frye-Mueller said the legislation that passed in 2026 did not provide immediate relief, and elimination is her ultimate goal. 

She said, “SB 245 does not take effect until July 1, 2027, which means this is not immediate relief. This will take the 0.3 percent sales tax increase and put it into a homeowner property tax reduction fund. SB 96 is not the ‘fix’ we need either. This also does not take effect until ‘taxes payable in 2028’ and only affects the county levy, which is approximately 30 percent of your property tax bill. If a county commission imposes this 0.5 percent sales tax increase, it may be referred by the people, but if it is passed with an emergency clause, that would prevent a referral.” 

Frye-Mueller said SB 243 was the best chance at immediate and complete owner-occupied property tax elimination, but the bill was killed in the Senate Taxation Committee, “where Sen. Amber Hulse voted against this great opportunity for the taxpayers.”

“I am opposed to property taxes, and the fact that government can seize your property, even if you own it outright, is legalized theft in my opinion. We had so many promises to ‘fix’ property taxes, but you can’t ‘fix’ something that is so broken. For the past two years, three of us have been traveling across the state with our proposal to abolish property taxes with a replacement revenue source, and it has gained a lot of traction. We didn’t have to do this, but we want to help all the citizens in our state,” said Frye-Mueller. 

If elected, property tax reform and elimination will continue to be priorities for Frye-Mueller. 

Frye-Mueller said some additional issues facing District 30 are protecting private property rights, secure elections and election integrity, school funding and the proficiency level of the students and foreign ownership of property and mining claims. 

She also said, “Data centers growing in our state is also a concern for many.” 

Although there are many issues Frye-Mueller plans to address if elected, she specifically said, “We need bills that will help protect the privacy of our citizens in areas you would think your information would not be shared or sold. Also, lack of transparency at all levels of government needs to be addressed. I will also be working with South Dakota Canvassing on making sure our elections are secure and then pursue any fraudulent activity. I would like to see Zero Based Budgeting for all political subdivisions (all levels of government). There are many more issues that need to be evaluated that I will be working on to help all of us.” 

Frye-Mueller said she looks at the role of South Dakota State senator as one of the most serious jobs a person can have. 

“Decisions made can either hurt or help the citizens of South Dakota. I went over bills at night and again in the morning to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Reading bills thoroughly and understanding them is what the job requires, and if you don’t put the time in to do that, you are not doing your job. I introduced several good bills in past years, and likenesses of those bills have now passed during the last two years because of new legislators in office,” said Frye-Mueller. 

Ultimately, Frye-Mueller said, “The voters and residents of District 30 need strong and experienced representation to stand up for our rights and not be swayed by either the executive branch or lobbyists. I have both life and legislative experience, and with our improved senate, I could be even more effective.”