KAXE contacted each candidate at least twice to invite them to participate in our Election Guide, using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office.
Candidate responses have not been edited and are published exactly as submitted, including typos and formatting.
As necessary, our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics. We will make every effort to make note of inaccuracies if they come to our attention.
Please contact our news team at news@kaxe.org with questions or comments or to report any errors.
KAXE's Election Guide includes contested races in communities with at least 100 people. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else will be on the ballot in November.
About these races
The city council is responsible for governing the city, including overseeing administrators, approving a budget and passing city ordinances. Councilors do not have any individual authority and can only exercise power as part of the council.
Two seats are up for election this year. The incumbents are Zakery Beckner and David Johnson, both of whom are running for reelection.
The mayor has no more voting power than a city councilor. Additional duties include presiding over city council meetings and acting as the ceremonial head of the city, often representing the city before the Legislature and in other official capacities.
The current mayor is Tyler Lende, who is running for reelection.
The winner of these elections will begin their four-year terms in January.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Age on Election Day: 50
Employment: USAF retired.
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I possess a degree in logistics management from the Community College of the Air Force, and spent 11 years managing millions of dollars of raw materials such as fuel, liquid oxygen etc, maintaining the millions of dollars of facilities to include piping, storage tanks, hydrant systems and equipment in mobile refueling trucks. I also administratively managed a refueling unit with over 100 personnel. I’m medically retired from the military and I don’t currently work, so I could be at city hall every day.
Why are you running?
This town suffers from a be small stay small mentality when the reality is if you’re not growing you’re just dying slowly.
Why should voters elect you?
My entire life is centered around the core values of the USAF. Integrity first, service before self and excellence in everything I do, with a growth minded focus. If we’re not growing, we’re actively dying.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
There are 2 available seats, and I’m not running for either one specifically.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Donald Trump. Not because I like him or think he’s doing it right or wrong, I admire the fact that when he says he’s going to do something, he actually makes the attempt, or in fact accomplishes it. Nobody can call him a liar.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
1. Roads and streets need immediate attention.
2. The Volunteer FD/community center which is in the same building, needs to be rebuilt/relocated. Likewise, City Hall/ Police Dept needs to be remodeled or moved to a new building.
3. There needs to be more policy transparency at City Hall.
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
Fire Dept/Community center. Coordinate with State and local authorities to coordinate grants for facility remodeling or construction. Coordinate local volunteers to maintain current facilities and make improvements where able. Since I currently don’t work, I could focus my entire attention to this one problem.
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
First, I know from my Air Force career that if a data center company tells you it requires water to operate, they’re lying to you. How do you think the military runs their data centers in Iraq or Afghanistan? They don’t use water because there isn’t any. No water, build the data center right and you don’t need water. Simple.
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
This town runs on a skeleton budget already, I don’t know that cuts could be made, and if they could, where they’d come from. I’d maybe be more focused on long term strategy to find areas of growth to give some wiggle room in the ledgers. I’d for sure encourage volunteering within the city residents to use that as a force multiplier.
Incumbent
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Still have questions for the candidates? Contact information for all those who've filed to run for office can be found at candidates.sos.state.mn.us.
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