Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether is dumping the Democratic Party amid speculation that he is considering a run for statewide office.

The second-term mayor of South Dakota's largest city said Monday he is changing his political registration to independent because of his frustration with the two-party status quo.

"After you saw what happened with the last election, I think it certainly was a wake up call for all of America," Huether said. "For those folks who haven't woken up yet, I think it's time."

In a half-hour news conference at the downtown library, the mayor didn't address his own political future, but he aimed his criticism at Washington. He said the re-appointment of Rep. Nancy Pelosi as U.S. House minority leader is proof of his former party's unwillingness to change.

"That decision is absolutely frightening because it shows the highest level leaders in D.C., they don't give a lick about what folks back home care about," Huether said.

Huether would not say whether he voted for Donald Trump, though he did compare his own business-centric approach to running City Hall with the president-elect's style. He said he liked some of Trump's cabinet selections but did not answer a question about which nominees he liked.

"He's not picking the establishment candidate or the establishment person to put into a certain role, and I think making folks nervous like that isn't a bad thing," Huether said, comparing it to the way he replaced eight of 12 city department heads at the start of his first term as mayor.

He also praised Gov. Dennis Daugaard and Sen. John Thune, both Republicans, for their effective leadership and qualifications and said he said he voted for both.

The mayor called himself a fiscal conservative and social libertarian who prefers the middle, and he said the extremes on the left and the right are creating an anti-establishment anger and ineffectiveness.

"I have no problems being called a moderate," Huether said.

The decision, which Huether said he has been weighing for more than two years, comes as the state's Democratic Party struggles to maintain a foothold in state politics.

Huether was among the state's most prominent Democrats and a name that often surfaced as a potential candidate for statewide office for the beleaguered party, which lost ground in last month's election and will send just 16 elected officials to Pierre next year.

The mayor repeated he was focused on his current job and would not answer questions about his political future, but the announcement fueled speculation about his next step.

"Unless he’s got some political ambitions, there's no reason to call a public press conference," said Jon Schaff, a political scientist at Northern State University.

Schaff said there is a good chance Huether would outperform a Democrat in a statewide race such as governor, hurting his former party's chances of a rebound.

Democrats have been losing ground with South Dakota voters for the last 10 years as independent party affiliation becomes increasingly common. Republicans also experienced a dip in loyalty among registered voters since 2006, though the decrease is less severe.

Democratic leaders declined to comment by phone on the implications of losing Huether, but sent an emailed statement saying they will continue to work with independent officials.

"South Dakota Democrats have a record of working with any willing partner to make our state a better place to live and work," Aaron Matson, a spokesman for the South Dakota Democratic Party, said in email. "That’s one of the reasons why we have welcomed Independents to participate in our primaries."