Sam Kooiker Explained

Sam Kooiker
Term Start:July 5, 2011
Term End:July 6, 2015
Successor:Steve Allender
Birth Date:March 9, 1974
Children:3
Mother:Sherry Kooiker

Sam Kooiker (born March 9, 1974) is an American politician who served as Mayor of Rapid City, South Dakota from 2011 to 2015.

Early life

Kooiker was born on March 9, 1974, in Japan,[1] [2] while his father John Kooiker taught at the Christian Academy.[3] The family returned to the United States in 1975,[4] where Kooiker and three siblings grew up on the family farm in Boyden, Iowa.[5] He attended Western Christian High School in the neighboring town of Hull.[6] While in high school, Kooiker held a job at Hy-Vee's Sheldon and Sioux Center stores.[7] He earned bachelor's degrees in criminal justice and psychology and a master's degree in public administration from the University of South Dakota (USD). During his time at USD, Kooiker continued working for Hy-Vee in Vermillion, South Dakota, and was also an intern at the Sioux City Police Department in his home state of Iowa.

Kooiker and his wife moved to Rapid City in the summer of 1999, where he worked at Gateway Computers for eight years; at the South Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for about a year; and at Golden West Technologies for six years.

In 2015, Kooiker's father was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives.[8]

Political career

Argus Leader political columnist David Montgomery described Rapid City as an overwhelmingly Republican town where local politics is hotly contested between factions within the Republican Party which Montgomery designates as the "Establishment Party" and the "Outsider Party." Montgomery characterized Kooiker as "the most successful representative" of the more "populist" outsider faction.[9]

Kooiker was named to the Rapid City Planning Commission by then-mayor Jerry Munson in 2001, and served until 2002.[10] He was elected to the Rapid City Common Council later that year and represented Ward 2 until he was elected mayor. As a city council member, Kooiker gained a reputation for being detail-orientated, especially on budget issues.[11] While serving on the council, he was censured twice, privately in 2005 and publicly in 2010.[12] [13] The 2010 censure was the first public rebuke of an elected official in Rapid City history.[14]

Kooiker had defeated Alan Hanks and incumbent Jim Shaw in the first mayoral election of 2007, but a runoff three weeks later was won by Hanks.[15] The next year, Kooiker applied for the position of city administrator in Cherokee, Iowa, but did not get the job, which instead went to Don Eikmeier. He stayed in Rapid City, and decided to run for mayor again in 2011. Kooiker began his campaign with heavy use of social media, primarily Facebook,[16] and was elected mayor that year by "a wave of overwhelming support in some of the city's poorer precincts,"[17] defeating Hanks by 478 votes.[18] Kooiker took office on July 5, 2011.[19] [20] He ran for reelection in 2013, against state senator Mark Kirkeby.[21] Amid allegations of micromanagement,[22] Kooiker defeated Kirkeby, by 4,702 votes.[23]

In 2014, Kooiker appointed Lt. Elias Diaz, an officer of Native American and Hispanic heritage, as chief of police.[24] [25] When the appointment met with opposition in the city council, Kooiker appointed Karl Jegaris instead.[26]

Kooiker lost his bid for a third term in June 2015, as former Rapid City police chief Steve Allender won the election by 1,226 votes.[27] Kooiker's second mayoral term ended on July 6, 2015.[28] Cherokee, Iowa mayor Mark Murphy announced Kooiker's hiring as city administrator in October 2015.[29] [30] [31] Kooiker was sworn in on December 22, 2015, though he had begun work earlier that month.[32] [33] In 2017, governor Kim Reynolds named Kooiker to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.[34] [35]

Kooiker was offered the city manager position in Sheldon, Iowa, in October 2018.[36] Sheldon's city council voted to approve the hiring of Kooiker later that month,[37] and he assumed the office in December 2018, succeeding Sean Hutchinson.[38]

Personal

Kooiker married the former Jennifer King in 1999,[39] whose family owned King's Grocery/Pasties in Lead, South Dakota from 1959 to 2000.[40] [41] They are the parents of three daughters, Abbie, Aubrie and Ellie.[42]

Kooiker has cerebral palsy.[43]

Notes and References

  1. News: Gesick. Jennifer Naylor. Kooiker announces campaign for re-election. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. March 10, 2013.
  2. News: Rapid City mayor, council president visit sister cities. May 3, 2015. KOTA-TV. October 22, 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141229172240/http://www.kotatv.com/news/south-dakota-news/rapid-city-mayor-council-president-visit-sister-cities/29284664. December 29, 2014.
  3. News: [No title]]. July 2, 2015. Sioux County Index. Newspapers.com. September 21, 1972. 11.
  4. News: Hall. Jacob. Kooiker gets GOP nod for HD 4. January 10, 2015. The Iowa Statesmen. December 19, 2014.
  5. News: McLaughlin. John Lee. Mayor Sam Kooiker announces run for third term. May 3, 2015. Rapid City Journal. March 6, 2015.
  6. News: Visser. Jeanne. Kooiker loses close race for Rapid City mayor. May 4, 2015. Sioux County Index Reporter. Small Town Papers News Service. July 4, 2007. January 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150116183139/http://www.stpns.net/view_article.html?articleId=54541049817545097. Dordt College website. Alt URL
  7. News: Ross. Ken. Sam Kooiker feels at home in Cherokee. January 8, 2016. Cherokee Chronicle Times. January 4, 2016.
  8. News: McLaughlin. John Lee. Rapid City mayor's dad elected to Iowa Legislature. May 3, 2015. January 8, 2015.
  9. News: Montgomery. David. Rapid City mayor accuses two city councilors of racism. May 3, 2015. Argus Leader. June 28, 2014.
  10. News: McLaughlin. John Lee. Allender assumes command as Rapid City mayor. October 22, 2015. Rapid City Journal. July 7, 2015.
  11. News: Rusch. Emilie. Just who is Sam Kooiker?. November 1, 2015. Rapid City Journal. February 7, 2010.
  12. News: Griffith. Tom. Mayoral candidate profile: Despite critics, Kooiker says he's a uniter. January 8, 2016. Rapid City Journal. May 24, 2015.
  13. News: Rusch. Emilie. Council votes 6-3 to censure Kooiker. January 8, 2016. Rapid City Journal. February 7, 2010.
  14. News: Rusch. Emilie. Kooiker censure plays out in city election. January 8, 2016. Rapid City Journal. April 5, 2010.
  15. News: Rusch. Emilie. Hanks, Kooiker campaigns increase aggressive tactics. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. June 26, 2011.
  16. News: Pilkington. Ed. How Facebook helped elect the mayor in Rapid City, South Dakota. November 1, 2015. The Guardian. February 11, 2012.
  17. News: Montgomery. David. Kooiker, Hanks results point to divided city. May 3, 2015. Argus Leader. June 30, 2011.
  18. News: Montgomery. David. Voters stand with Sam. November 4, 2015. Rapid City Journal. June 29, 2011.
  19. News: Rapid City Councilman Sam Kooiker elected mayor. October 22, 2015. Argus Leader. Associated Press. June 29, 2011.
  20. News: Rusch. Emilie. Kooiker, new aldermen sworn in. January 2, 2016. Rapid City Journal. July 6, 2011.
  21. News: Orlowski. Aaron. Mayor candidate field opens up, Sen. Mark Kirkeby throws hat in ring. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. February 25, 2013.
  22. News: Daniel. Simmons-Ritchie. Mayor Kooiker, Sen. Kirkeby debate issues. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. May 10, 2013.
  23. News: O'Sullivan. Joe. Kooiker romps to second term. November 4, 2015. Rapid City Journal. June 4, 2013.
  24. News: McLaughlin. John Lee. Mayor announces new Rapid City police chief, but choice and process draw criticism. May 3, 2015. Rapid City Journal. June 10, 2014.
  25. News: Eagle. Karin. Native Sun News: New police chief focuses on Indian cold cases. May 3, 2015. Native Sun News. June 16, 2014.
  26. News: McLaughlin. John Lee. Mayor gives nod to Jegeris as chief; says appointment process worked. May 3, 2015. Rapid City Journal. June 19, 2014.
  27. News: Tupper. Seth. Allender handily defeats incumbent Kooiker for Rapid City mayor. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. June 3, 2015.
  28. News: Janssen. Heather. Allender sworn in as new mayor of Rapid City. October 22, 2015. KEVN-TV. July 7, 2015.
  29. News: New city administrator named. October 30, 2015. Cherokee Chronicle Times. October 5, 2015.
  30. News: Lawrence. Tom. Sam Kooiker heads home. October 30, 2015. Black Hills Pioneer. October 13, 2015.
  31. News: Kooiker leaving Rapid City to manage modest-sized Iowa city. August 12, 2016. Rapid City Journal. October 6, 2015.
  32. News: Ross. Ken. In with the new. January 2, 2016. Cherokee Chronicle Times. December 24, 2015.
  33. News: City has two new employees . March 12, 2024 . Cherokee Chronicle Times . December 11, 2015.
  34. News: Carstens . Courtney . Kooiker appointed to Civil Rights Committee . November 10, 2019 . Storm Lake Pilot Tribune/Cherokee Chronicle Times . August 17, 2017.
  35. News: Rushing . Ty . Kooiker glad to be home in Sheldon . November 10, 2019 . N'West Iowa Review . January 17, 2019.
  36. News: Rushing . Ty . Kooiker offered Sheldon city manager job . December 21, 2018 . N'West Iowa Review . October 10, 2018.
  37. News: Rushing . Ty . Sheldon council to vote on Kooiker hire . December 21, 2018 . N'West Iowa Review . October 16, 2018.
  38. News: Struck . Paul . Kooiker's journey takes him 'home' Accepts Sheldon City Manager post . December 21, 2018 . Cherokee Chronicle Times . October 24, 2018.
  39. News: McLaughlin. John Lee. 5 questions with outgoing Mayor Sam Kooiker. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. July 3, 2015.
  40. News: Steen. Jomay. King the pasty queen. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. October 11, 2007.
  41. News: Daly. Dan. Meat pies survive grocery closing. September 27, 2015. Rapid City Journal. December 19, 2000.
  42. News: Rusch. Emilie. Sam Kooiker to run for Rapid City mayor. November 1, 2015. Rapid City Journal. March 1, 2011.
  43. News: O'Sullivan. Joe. Kooiker, a mayor who energizes and divides. May 4, 2015. Rapid City Journal. May 5, 2013.

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