Taylor Swift’s Future In-Laws Have a Surprising South Dakota Connection

It was November 22, 1994, and Sioux Falls was in the process of picking a new mayor. Incumbent Mayor Jack White, a real estate agent, was not running after serving two terms.

The 1994 Sioux Falls Mayoral Election

Seven people were on the ballot that November for the primary election. There were Jack G. Rentschler, a former state representative; Rick Knobe, a former Mayor in the late 1970s and early 1980s; two City Commissioners, Gary W. Hanson and Loila Hunking; retired executive Ross Reinhart; and plumber Rich Nelson.

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Meet Donald Blalock: The Candidate With a Famous Legacy

There was one more name on that primary ballot. A man who was born in 1931 in Cleveland, Ohio, and worked with various companies during his career, often as an executive or in sales. He came to Sioux Falls in the early 80s, where he worked for Kohlman/Athey Division.

The man's name was Donald R. Blalock, and although he didn't become the mayor of Sioux Falls, he came in fifth with 1.12% of the vote; he did, however, give Sioux Falls something we always cherish: a connection to someone famous.

A Sioux Falls Claim to Pop Culture Fame

When I say he's connected to someone famous, I mean FAMOUS! Here's how:

In the early 1950s, our mayoral candidate had a daughter named Donna. Born and raised in Cleveland, Donna had a long career in banking. In the 1970s, Donna met the man she would marry at Fagan's, a popular Cleveland bar. That man was named Ed Kelce.

You may not know Donna and Ed, but you for sure know their sons, NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce. Jason played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2011 to 2023. And his younger brother has been a Kansas City Chief since 2013.

Oh! Right...Travis is well known for another reason. He is engaged to become Mr. Taylor Swift. In August, the tight end proposed to the superstar singer after dating for a couple of years.

MORE: South Dakota Couple Gets Engaged in Front of Swirling Tornado

So, there we go, folks - a real, solid, Sioux Falls connection to the biggest star in the world, Taylor Swift. You can use this bit of trivia next time your cousin from The Cities is bragging about Prince, or how Jingle All the Way was filmed there.

By the way, a fella named Gary W. Hanson won the mayoral election in 1994, serving until 2002. Don Blalock, AKA Travis Kelce's grandfather, passed on August 27, 2018. He was 87.