Hickey is married to Kristen Kay Hickey and they have three grown children; Caleb Edward and wife Alaina, Thomas David and wife Melody, and Katherine Lynn. He currently resides in Old Aberdeen, Scotland with his wife and daughter. In 2013 he was which resulted in his early retirement from active pastoral ministry and politics.
Hickey is a native of Kansas City and served as a youth pastor at in Prairie Village, Kansas from 1986-1991. He served as youth pastor and then interim pastor at in Chicago from 1991-1994. He is the founding pastor of in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a three-term South Dakota legislator. Since 2002 he served as chaplain for the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office and the Sioux Falls Police Department. He was ordained by the . Hickey was an activist statewide in two ballot measure attempts to ban abortion in South Dakota, 2008 and 2008. In the South Dakota legislature he led two attempts at repealing the death penalty contending for a consistent pro-life position where issues of development, deformity/disability and depravity have no bearing on one's humanity and the sacredness of all biological human life. His position was outlined in . He has arguing that killing is not compassion. In 2013 Hickey responded to the escalation of violence in society by resisting attempts to legitimise cage fighting in South Dakota by establishing and state athletic commission. His comments, "" created a stern kick back from sport enthusiasts nationwide and promoters and fighters in the industry. He subsequently met with UFC fighter Shayna Bazler and to express his regret for using an analogy that far overshadowed his point. In 2014-2016, to form South Dakotans for Responsible Lending and together they successfully led a statewide ballot initiative to cap the interest rate on payday and title loans at 36% effectively driving the payday lenders out of the state.
Books and publications
Hickey has written several books including and and .
Elections
2012 Hickey and incumbent Republican Representative Bob Deelstra were unopposed for the June 5, 2012 Republican Primary; in the four-way November 6, 2012 General election Hickey took the first seat with 4,188 votes and Democratic nominee Paula Hawks took the second seat ahead of incumbent Republican Representative Deelstra and returning 2010 Democratic nominee Mark Anderson.
2010 When incumbent Republican Representative Deb Peters ran for South Dakota Senate and Democratic Representative Richard Engels left the Legislature leaving both District 9 seats open, Hickey ran in the June 8, 2010 Republican Primary; in the five-way November 2, 2010 General election Hickey took the first seat with 3,769 votes and fellow Republican nominee Bob Deelstra took the second seat ahead of Democratic nominees Trudi Hatch, Mark Anderson, and Constitution candidate Charles Drews.
