Our Name on the Wall
This past week, I did something I rarely do lately: I stepped away from the campaign and meetings in the city. We headed to Killeen, Texas, to watch my baby brother James compete at the high school powerlifting national championships.
He didn't just compete. He came home with a first-place finish.
A Record That Wasn't Just About the Weight
In 2010, I was a senior at O'Gorman High School. I had one goal: break Jim Kreital's deadlift record, which had stood since 1987. I spent two years chasing it. But when I finally pulled that bar off the floor, I wasn't thinking about the numbers.
I was thinking about my brothers.
My parents immigrated here in 1993 with a dream but very little else. We grew up behind the counter of their restaurant, wiping down tables and figuring out this country as we went. I wanted my brothers to walk the halls of O'Gorman and see our family name on that record wall. Not as an exception — as proof that we belonged.
That was the goal. Not the record. Belonging.
James Showed Up Long Before Texas
James is more than a champion athlete. He's been one of the greatest supporters of this campaign.
While I've been talking about equal opportunity, James has been living it. During our petition drive, he didn't just ask for signatures — he went to work registering his classmates to vote. He reached young people face-to-face, peer-to-peer, and showed them that their voices matter in Sioux Falls.
That's who James is. Thoughtful. Determined. He shows up.
Building a City for the Next Generation
James didn't just find my record on the wall. He shattered it. Then he set a new State Record. Then he won on a National Stage. Born and raised in Sioux Falls.
I may have set a bar in 2010. James has cleared every bar anyone has ever put in front of him.
This is why I'm running. I want to build a Sioux Falls where every kid — regardless of their zip code or where their parents were born — knows they have a shot at the wall. Sioux Falls gave our family a chance. My parents arrived with almost nothing and built something that lasted. Now I want to make sure the next James has every reason to stay, to compete, and to win — right here at home.
It's always been our city, and now is our moment.
Let's rise together. ☀️
— Vince Danh
Candidate, Sioux Falls City Council At-Large A | June 2nd, 2026