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 county board is responsible for governing its county, including by approving the budget. Generally, counties are responsible for the following: property tax assessment, tax administration, elections, record keeping, transportation, planning and zoning, solid waste management, environment, parks and water management, law enforcement, courts and health and human services.
County Commissioner District 2 includes the cities of Carlton and Scanlon. The incumbent commissioner is Marv Bodie, who is not running for reelection.
County Commissioner District 4 includes the cities of Barnum and Wrenshall. The incumbent commissioner is Susan Zmyslony, who is running for reelection.
The sheriff is a county's chief law enforcement officer, tasked with keeping and preserving peace. The current sheriff is Kelly Lake, who is retiring.
Each Soil and Water Conservation District is governed by a five-member board of supervisors elected by the citizens of the county. SWCDs provide technical assistance, funding and educational resources to meet the conservation needs of private landowners. The board is responsible for policy development, annual plans, long-range plans and budgets.
SWCD District 3 includes the cities of Wrenshall and Mahtowa. The current District 3 board member is Robert Fox, who is running for reelection.
The winners 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.
Age on Election Day: 49
Community: Carlton
Employment: Cloquet Middle School, 6th science teacher
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Teacher for 25 years, B.S. Elementary Ed, M.ed special ed., City council 14 years, School board 4 years, Blueberry farmer/ small business owner, Union rep, wife, mother, outdoor enthusiast, Nordic ski coach
Why are you running?
It is imperative to be involved and help guide the future in a sustainable, prosperous way.
Why should voters elect you?
I am a level headed thinker with experience in working with people, issues and finding solutions that benefit our world. I think creativity and care deeply.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Paul Wellstone, because he was down to earth and a true advocate for working people.
What are the three biggest issues your county is facing?
1.Maintaining infrastructure & services to a high standard while keeping taxes reasonable.
2. Public health, safety & economic security.
3.Data Centers
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
I can’t pick 1 issue as they are all important! I would address each area with learning, listening and finding shared solutions.
What would be your top spending priorities and savings priorities in the county budget?
The county has thus far done a good job in balancing its budget while keeping services running smoothly. I would aim to continue this trajectory while continuing to find areas of increased efficiency.
Rising property taxes are a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. How would you aim to minimize levy increases?
Increased efficiency, attracting sustainable business and continuing to improve on “quality of life” issues that attract /retain citizens.
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Website: suezmyslony.com
Incumbent
Age on Election Day: 69
Community: I reside in Barnum township with a Moose Lake mailing address.
Employment: Currently Carlton District 4. Retired from the field of education for 6 years.
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I am a retired special education teacher with almost 40 years of experience, retiring from the Cloquet School District after 32 years of service. Previously I was a Barnum School Board member, United Way President and Board member, and President of the Carlton County Historical Society. I continue as a member of the Carlton Area Lions Club, Hanging Horn Area Lakeshore Management Board, Alternate Director for the Association of Minnesota Counties District 1 and am a member of the Association of Minnesota Education & Research Council.
In 2015, I was elected to the Carlton County Board and served one four-year term. In the November 2018 elections, I lost my re-election bid by a very slim margin. I then ran again in the 2022 general election and defeated my same opponent by a significant margin.
Why are you running?
I am proud to serve as a county commissioner and represent the people of my district. It is important to me to help shape decisions that directly affect the quality of life in Carlton County. I work hard to support quality, affordable resources such as housing, roads, public infrastructure, childcare, public health, and economic growth. It is important to give back to our communities because investing in and supporting our communities builds a better future for everyone.
Why should voters elect you?
Voters should elect me because I am actively engaged with the communities in my district. I am always present at public events and make myself available through phone calls, text messages, or email. I firmly believe leadership means showing up, working together, and making sure every voice is heard. My commitment is simple: listen first, lead with purpose and serve my communities with integrity. Change happens when people choose to work together. This is why voters should elect me.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
Niles R. Shoff, my father was a mayor of a community in southern Minnesota for many years. He was progressive in his thinking, fair, engaged in his community and demonstrated a willingness to listen to the people of his community. He often said to his 8 children, wherever you go, make the community your own and always give back to those that support it.
What are the three biggest issues your county is facing?
Property taxes, housing, and transportation
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
All three are important, but without adequate and affordable housing, we don’t have people living in the community where they work, attending our schools, utilizing local childcare, attending churches or shopping in the community where they reside. We need affordable housing to support economic growth, community stability, and health and social equity, all of which allows families a foundation to thrive.
What would be your top spending priorities and savings priorities in the county budget?
The top spending priorities for our county should be public safety, health and human services, and the maintenance of infrastructure. The top savings priorities in the county budget should be to focus on a balanced budget through the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) process to ensure operational savings without cutting essential services.
Rising property taxes are a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. How would you aim to minimize levy increases?
The County is in its third year of the GFOA budgetary process, which has been proven to help us tighten department budgets and to guide us with the use of reserve funds. We must also continue to work with our state and federal lawmakers to provide reimbursement for unfunded mandates which causes a budgetary strain when the county is required to provide these services without financial support. The continuation of the GFOA budgetary process and success with our state and federal lawmakers will assist us with lowering our levy.
Age on Election Day: 46
Community: Carlton County
Employment: Carlton County Sheriff's Office - Chief Deputy
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Leading a Sheriff’s Office demands a leader who understands every area of county operations. Over a 26-year career in law enforcement, I have served as a Patrol Deputy, Investigator, Lieutenant, Undersheriff, and currently, Chief Deputy. As second-in-command, I already manage our daily operations, personnel, and division budgets.
True preparedness means knowing how our entire public safety infrastructure connects. I bring hands-on experience and understanding of our patrol and investigative divisions, 911 dispatch functions, jail operations, and complex records management systems and civil processes; the backbones that allow our office to serve and protect our community.
My practical leadership is backed by a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a lifetime of dedication to this community, including serving two terms as an elected School Board member, volunteer and basketball coach. I offer the proven administrative expertise and operational depth required to lead on day one.
Why are you running?
From the day I started in law enforcement, leading the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office has been my ultimate goal. I have dedicated my entire 26-year career toward preparing to be the leader that Carlton County deserves.
As a lifelong resident, my investment here is deeply personal. Effectively leading our Sheriff’s Office requires a lifetime of Carlton County connections, trust, and shared history with the people we serve.
Furthermore, the Sheriff must be a proven administrator who thoroughly understands our agency budgets, jail operations, 911 dispatch, records and civil management. Serving as the Chief Deputy and in other various roles in law enforcement, I have spent decades mastering these complex operations.
I am running to combine my executive readiness with my lifetime of community roots to protect our taxpayers, support our staff, and ensure a safe, secure future for the county I have always called home.
Why should voters elect you?
When you cast your ballot for Carlton County Sheriff, you are choosing the future direction and immediate stability of our community’s public safety. Our county faces complex, modern challenges, and the Sheriff’s Office cannot afford an on-the-job learning curve or operational disruption.
Why elect me as your next Sheriff? Because I offer a seamless, proven transition. I bring years of direct experience working alongside our county commissioners, city council members, tribal leaders, local police departments, and community partners. Together, we have kept our sheriff's office steady, efficient, and forward-thinking.
Voting for me means choosing a tested leader who has prepared his entire life to be ready to lead our office on day one. I am ready to serve every community across Carlton County, and I respectfully ask for your vote.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Ret. Marine Corps General and former Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. I admire Retired General Mattis for his servant-leadership model, a principal where a leader’s primary focus is the well-being, growth, and empowerment of the people they lead. Mattis combined sharp strategy, with an unwavering dedication to his front-line personnel he led, always putting the mission and safety above personal ambition.
This is exactly the standard of leadership I aspire to exemplify and will bring to my candidacy for Carlton County Sheriff. True leadership isn’t about the title; it is about protecting and serving the people who trust you to guide them. Like Mattis, I believe in confident leadership, doing what is right, and ensuring our deputies have the unwavering support and training they need to safely and effectively protect our community. A vote for me is a vote for disciplined, community-focused leadership rooted in real service.
What is the biggest challenge facing the sheriff’s office, and how would you address it if elected?
Addressing our nation and statewide staffing challenges are a priority of mine. We have implemented an aggressive strategy by adjusting our wages to stay competitive, ensuring our staff are compensated fairly for the immense risks and tough work environment they operate in. We made other policy changes to add tangible value to the quality of their work environment.
Next, we found hiring processes that streamline background checks, eliminate unnecessary administrative hurdles, ultimately cutting the time it takes to go from an applicant to being hired. We also continue to bolster and look for ways to engage with our community, both in-person and on social media to show the next generation what serving Carlton County truly means.
Recruiting and retaining top talent isn’t just a county goal, it is a public safety mandate. We require the best of the best as that translates to a safer, more secure community.
Please describe your stance on local law enforcement coordinating with federal immigration authorities.
Our sheriff's office has been fully committed to Minnesota law by sharing relevant information with our federal immigration partners and keeping our streets and communities free from violent offenders. Our primary focus remains local public safety and maintaining community stability. During any enforcement actions, we are dedicated to assisting law enforcement agencies and officers and maintaining peace and safety in all parts of our county.
How would you build effective relationships with other agencies and offices, including tribal law enforcement, the state attorney general’s office and other county sheriffs?
Effective relationship building is a standard I have spent my entire 46 years in our Carlton County community establishing. If elected, I start day-one with trusted connections with all of our regional partners, and as Sheriff, I will continue to bolster the strength of those vital partnerships.
I am a Fond du Lac tribal member who grew up in our Carlton County community, so continuing to work in partnership with our tribe is a priority. It is imperative that our county works with our tribe seamlessly to ensure all residence are receiving the services they need to maintain safe neighborhoods.
Over the years, our office has also held strong relationships with our attorney general’s office. We have partnered in successful prosecutions, including matters as serious as murder. Successful prosecution of criminals and protecting our community is number one on my list and will continue to be into the future.
How would you seek to address the intersection of mental health issues and criminal justice in calls for service and your jail?
Addressing the intersection of mental health and criminal justice requires innovation and commitment to breaking the cycle of recidivism. In calls for service, my focus is on equipping our staff with as many crisis-intervention tools as possible to safely de-escalate situations and provide care whenever appropriate.
Within our jail, we refuse to settle for the status quo and actively seek out solutions. We sought partnerships with the state’s Direct Care and Treatment pilot program that we continue to advance and continue to work with other mental health crisis resources and teams to better serve our inmate population. We also heavily invested in specialized female justice programming to address trauma and needs of our female population. Rehab doesn’t end at the jail doors, so community and county hand-offs are top priority. Bridging the gap between release from jail and local support systems to ensure long-term stability for our county residents.
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Incumbent
Age on Election Day: 70
Community: Carlton
Employment: I’m a retired High School science teacher
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
Going back to the 1970s-80s I worked in conservation related positions as a counselor with the Youth Conservation Corps in the Superior National Forest and later with The Nature Conservancy, primarily in prairie preserves. My teaching career was not directly related to conservation courses though I introduced environmental topics I each of my classes.
Why are you running?
I have had the opportunity over the last 2 terms to witness the work of a talented and knowledgeable staff and I hope to continue to support them for another 4 years.
Why should voters elect you?
The staff of the Carlton SWCD continue to amaze me with their expertise in working with land occupiers to improve their properties. Their efforts with individuals and municipal groups (the Cloquet Public Library or Cromwell community, for instance) in forestry, shoreline improvement, pollinator and rain gardens, agricultural projects, and in many other areas have been possible because of a supportive Board. I have worked closely with staff members to understand their work and what they need in order to excel. I’d like the opportunity to continue my support for their efforts and to keep the Carlton SWCD a thriving organization.
What does conservation and natural resources management mean to you?
Our land, water and plant communities are threatened by development and our desire to “tame” them. While it is not possible to return them to a pristine state, I feel it is our responsibility to preserve them in as “natural” condition as possible. This means protecting shorelines and waterways from erosion and chemical pollution, managing forests and grasslands for long term sustainability, and leaving the environment in good condition for future generations. Conserving our resources through thoughtful and careful planning should be our goal.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
As stated above, I am thrilled to be associated with such a talented and dedicated team so my main priority is to make sure that they have the support of an equally dedicated Board. I also hope to continue, and to improve, my reaching out to the people of Carlton County to make them aware of the wonderful resource they have available through our office.
What do you think the relationship should be between the SWCD and tribal partners?
We have many of the same goals - protecting and preserving our resources for future generations. It makes sense that we should work closely with members of the Fond du Lac community to achieve this.
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Age on Election Day: 70
Community: Carlton
Employment: Semi Retired
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have served as a County Commissioner, City Councilor and have served on several Community Boards, such as Harbor Commission, Port Authority and have bend involved with Land Use priorities in critical areas. I have a strong background in community planning and Business.
Why are you running?
Living on a fourth generation Century Farm in the heart of Carlton County I am familiar with soil use, watersheds and forest resource conservation practices. We have profound accountability to all interests for practices that preserve and promote practices that are sustainable and continually seek improvements.
Why should voters elect you?
Commitment to sustain what we have now and look forward to what may or will be needed in the future. Working with the various groups to provide practical opportunities that will strengthen our environment.
What does conservation and natural resources management mean to you?
Preserving what resources we have but also to enhance what we have now!
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Soil necessary for Farms to operate with such as smaller crop farms, vegetable farms and orchards. Forest practices and reforestation where those opportunities exist. Watersheds that are needed for so many start and flow many different directions from here need continuous monitoring and protection.
What do you think the relationship should be between the SWCD and tribal partners?
Partnering with so many resources intertwined is foremost but seeking opportunities that will work for all concerned.
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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Malachy Koons/ContributedThe KAXE Music Team on new releases from The Mary Wallopers, Humbird, Leon Bridges, Julia Jacklin, Jake Bugg, Kelley Smith, and Kings of Leon and Petty's debut as our Pick Of '76. -
Contributed/Book covers—publisher websites; Tracy KampaChildren's librarian Tracy Kampa reviews new books by Sophie Blackall, Chelsea Lin Wallace, Steve Sheinkin and Meaghan McIsaac. -
The retired DNR forester gave a walking tour of his forest property as part of a Cass Soil and Water Conservation District forest management event. -
Plus: Aitkin's 68-year-old water tower is demolished; Demuth, Klobuchar will debate in the Brainerd lakes area; and we're partnered with ICTV to host school board forums.
