Cook County 2026 Election Guide

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 40

Community: Irish Creek Rd in Hovland

Employment: I help my wife with Sawtooth Mountain Mobile Vet and work at both the Hovland and Grand Portage Post Offices

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I worked 15 years in healthcare, most recently as a Warehouse Manager for a large at-home health care company. I’ve been a small business owner for many years. I went to school for Engineering which gives me strong analytical and critical thinking skills. I'd hope to utilize what I have learned in life to be a strong advocate for our community and look out for the needs of all constituents in District 1 and Cook County as a whole in a positive, collaborative, and open minded way. I am not afraid to research topics deeply, I never feel I have the only answer, and I always want what's best for everyone.

Why are you running?

As I have become more active in attending town hall meetings or reading about the County Board’s work, I have felt a pull to local governance to help bring a voice to those who feel they are not being heard. I want to bring a younger eye, more positive and engaged energy, and a collaborative spirit to the seat for District 1. I want to be the change I want to see.

Why should voters elect you?

I may be newer to the county and many of you don’t know me yet but I hope once we do meet that you’ll find that I care deeply about our community. I choose to be positive and collaborative in all that I do. I am willing to listen to everyone’s questions, concerns, and ideas; big or small. I’ll bring constructive solutions to the table by not being afraid to research topics, ask hard questions, and think outside the box. If you’re looking for a set of fresh eyes and ideas, and someone who believes wholeheartedly that “we all do better when we all do better”, then I’m your guy!

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

I admired Paul Wellstone because he was a fierce fighter for the environment, social justice, and the importance of education. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and tell the truth. He was the first national political figure I followed in my younger years and hearing "we all do better when we all do better" is something that's stuck with me for my whole life.

What are the three biggest issues your county is facing?

Affordability (like housing), economic opportunity, and healthcare

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

Affordability affects everyone in our little community and ultimately touches or is caused by everything else on my list. I would work collaboratively with those on the board of commissioners, with business and community leaders around the county, and by reaching outside of the community to other leaders who are doing great work. I'd leave no stone unturned in the search for making life more affordable for all residents of Cook County

What would be your top spending priorities and savings priorities in the county budget?

My spending priorities would be around economic opportunity, healthcare, and our core public services that help our community. My savings priorities would be in finding more efficient ways of doing things and rooting out waste. Under the County Administrator’s leadership, the Board has started doing the important work of meeting with department heads on their budgets to dive deeper into the numbers. Continuing this work to find savings would be very important to me, especially with so many funding cuts in recent years

Rising property taxes are a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. How would you aim to minimize levy increases?

Finding savings in the budget would be a big first step. I do think it is important to thread the needle between providing important public services that make our community safe, vibrant, and sought after and feeling like we are paying too high a tax bill. Working with State and Federal leaders who feel it is important to help fund the communities they serve would be a priority to me. I know recently the state changed funding rules so that property taxes for seasonal recreation property owners comes back to the community the property is located to help fund education. Finding meaningful opportunities to fund the budget outside of raising taxes would be a major goal and I wouldn’t shy away from the work.

Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: 75

Community: Hovland, MN

Employment: county commissioner, district 1

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

My leadership skills have been honed over decades of community involvement and service. As a Blandin Community Leadership alumna, I learned the necessity of leading from the bottom, weighing input from stakeholders to find workable solutions.

BA English degree from University of Wisconsin, Madison

Co-owner of sled dog outfitting business, Arktikos Kennels, working with Wilderness Inquiry, providing winter programming for combined groups of disabled and able-bodied participants in a wilderness setting.

Co-owner of construction business, Arktikos Custom Builders, building custom homes throughout the Arrowhead region.

Cook County Community Education, 5 years -- created and coordinated youth, adult, and community programming.

Cook County KIDS PLUS, (a Northland Foundation initiative), 5 years -- created and coordinated opportunities and programing to engage youth in community

Grand Portage Education, 8 years -- advocated for and provided academic support for students from the sovereign nation of Grand Portage.

ISD #166 School Board representative, 12 years

Cook County Board of Commissioners, 4 years

Why are you running?

My family (my husband and our two children) moved to Cook County in 1992. We purchased land and built our home. I know what it takes to live here. I have history with this community of individuals.

I now have four years of experience as county commissioner and know I can make a difference, helping to increase transparency and creating opportunities for more community input. I want voters to know they are being heard, that their opinions matter. I want input from voters .

Why should voters elect you?

I care about those who call Cook County their home, really care. I am committed to this county, to my home. With the continued pressures of rising property values, county spending must be thoughtful and deliberate. I have the energy to try to make life affordable for our residents.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Franklin Rosevelt was president during the Great Depression and World War II. He used the resources and the power of the government to initiate and implement programs to alleviate the suffering of the US citizens and offeriring dignity and hope to the country.

He established the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Public Works Administration, the Emergency Relief Administration, and the Rural Electrification Program (which brought power to towns and households across the country). These programs built roads, bridges, schools, and libraries. Banks were reopened. The economy began to recover.

What are the three biggest issues your county is facing?

An aging population, shortage of affordable housing, and high property taxes.

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

These issues are intertwined. The cost of living in this end-of-the-road county is high. There is little land available for development and there’s a shortage of existing houses for purchase. Land values continue to increase. With outside buyers wanting to call Cook County home, and with the ability to buy, property values are inflated. Those who work in the service industry or for businesses that support our residents (grocery,retail), wages are not high enough to save for real estate purchase or to pay the rent.

Long time residents, seniors, struggle to pay their ever increasing property taxes; some have sold out and moved to more affordable communities. A county program to help new buyers with a down payment, a loan to be repaid over time could be established with funding coming perhaps from PILT revenues. This might be a viable option.

What would be your top spending priorities and savings priorities in the county budget?

The county board relies on the expertise of the auditor and the county administrator. The county board also needs to work with department supervisors to review their budgets, looking for ways to streamline operations and reduce redundancy. Efficiency in operations will reduce costs. Continual assessment of departments will be needed.

To further save money, we need to continue the courthouse renovation which will improve heating and electrical efficiencies. Reconfiguration of interior spaces will improve security and allow for all employees to work comfortably in one building. However, this is a big spending item.

I would also like to revisit the short term rental program. What are the true costs and benefits of this program? Would the county benefit from having the rentals return to the marketplace as long term housing units? Not only would there be more homes for sale, but neighborhood cultures could stabilize.

Rising property taxes are a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. How would you aim to minimize levy increases?

Cook County board of commissioners has met with each department head and received their 2027 budget requests

Department supplied budget narratives and detailed spread sheets of expenditures and revenues. They had the opportunities to support and justify their asks.

Cook County needs to reduce expenditures. Reductions will have to be made because funding every request is just not sustainable. This will be painful, but necessary.

Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: 45

Community: Cook County/Grand Marais

Employment: Self-employed: Painting contractor; Cook County: County Commissioner

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

My leadership training began as a youth. I was selected to participate in numerous leadership and peer mediation programs in the Grand Rapids community where I grew up. I was a Community(Residential) Advisor at the University of Minnesota: Twin Cities. I have worked on small crews for long periods of time in remote backcountry wilderness settings. I am a 2014 Blandin Community Leadership Program alum. I served three years on the Grand Marais City Council and now almost eight years on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. In my role as County Commissioner I serve on many boards and committees including regional and state-wide.

Why are you running?

The role of County Commissioner is extremely important. The job never ends. The more time a commissioner will put in, the more the position will take. There is great value to the community in having an experienced commissioner represent them. So much of the job involves building and maintaining relationships throughout the community, region, and state. I believe it is my duty to run and do everything I can for our community. I am honored to have served these last eight years and very grateful for all who support and help our community in any way they can. We all have a role to play, and I encourage any and all to step up and be more engaged.

Why should voters elect you?

There have been countless challenges from administrator turn-overs to a pandemic to loss of community mental health services to a loss of institutional knowledge via a plethora of department head retirements. We have created the HRA and have made progress in deferred maintenance. I have been a steady, smart, compassionate leader at every opportunity and will continue to bring my skills, experience, and heart to every future challenge.

I am an exceptional listener, incredibly creative, a gregarious participant, very strategic, and a humble narcissist. ;) I appreciate the diversity of strengths required of a county board, and no one person can bring it all. The challenges require working as a team and leveraging what we each bring to the table.

Commissioners funnel community needs to the table for action. We rely on informed public feedback. I strive to be a vessel for the good of all.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

This question is basically asking to affiliate oneself with another public leader - nigh on partisanship... I don't think it appropriate, smart, or wise.

I admire public leaders who admit mistakes, apologize, correct mistakes, and move on.

I admire public leaders who can understand context and make difficult decisions that make the most long-term sense, not necessarily (and probably usually not) the ones that make short-term wins.

I admire public leaders that are open and willing to learn. Not everyone is. Not everyone has the self-awareness to see themselves and their own deficiencies. We all have them and knowing them allows us to navigate them (avoid or confront) and really focus on our strengths.

I admire public leaders who recognize our shared struggles and dedicate so much of their lives to addressing them. Thank you!

What are the three biggest issues your county is facing?

Community sustainability, gentrification, community health

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

Community sustainability is kind of a catch-all, but that is really what my focus is. Whether it is housing affordability, having essential community services, or the availability of healthy food, we need to figure out a way and have the courage to address the increasing wealth disparity in our community. There are many people suffering. There is also a lot of wealth entering and already in our community. We need to find a better way to balance the significantly growing needs of our community with the assets that are here and coming in. Funny story, though: the better we make our community, the more desirable of a place it is to live, work, raise a family, and die, and then the more expensive property will be to buy. We are basically fighting the market.

What would be your top spending priorities and savings priorities in the county budget?

Investments in children are the best bang for the buck. The more we do for our kids' health and well-being, the better off our community will be. Healthy kids tend to grow into healthy adults who have what they need - less strain on law enforcement, courts, healthcare.

A kid's health and well-being is also having strong, safe relationships that support them. That means we also need adults that are in a place where they can provide those relationships and support. Parents, teachers, and coaches are great, and I believe our elders are also crucial in this role. We need to better foster an environment where the family circle can be relied upon.

There are many holes in our systems now, and there are also so many opportunities we can take on to work in this direction. The long-term savings are incredible and oh-so worth it.

Rising property taxes are a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. How would you aim to minimize levy increases?

County-administered property tax rebates that are based on income relative to our median income. The intention is that no one would pay more than three percent of their income towards homestead property taxes.

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 35

Community: Grand Marais, Cook County

Employment: Cook County Sheriff's Office - Deputy Sheriff

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I grew up in Cook County and graduated from High School here. I joined the US Army at age 17 and graduated from John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. As a Civil Affairs Specialist, I served in Afghanistan as a diplomatic bridge between NATO Forces and the local Afghan populace.

After completing my military service, I joined the Mesa, Arizona Police Department, where I learned the law enforcement profession in one of America's largest and busiest cities. I went on to be a Field Training Officer and General Instructor, helping train the next generation of police officers.

When my first child was born, I returned to my home of Grand Marais and was recruited by the Probation Office, where I worked with victims, offenders, and families in our community. I later joined the Cook County Sheriff's Office, where I currently am a Deputy Sheriff and Field Training Officer.

Why are you running?

I am running because I believe both law enforcement and government have become too disconnected from the public they serve. Public safety works best when law enforcement builds relationships and is present within our community. That cannot be done from behind a desk. It is achieved on the streets, in the schools, and in the businesses that make up our community.

I'm running to bring that commitment to direct, meaningful engagement with the public to the Sheriff's Office.

Why should voters elect you?

I bring a unique combination of experience as a local, veteran, and experienced police officer. I am deeply committed to the community I grew up in. I've worked in challenging environments, both internationally and at home. I understand that being Sheriff is about more than management, it's about representing the public as their elected law enforcement.

I will bring experience, leadership, and a community-first approach to the Sheriff's Office. I am ready to lead from the front, work directly with the community, and serve the people who call Cook County home.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was President during the most divided time in our nation's history, prevented the disintegration of the United States, and ended the institution of slavery.

What is the biggest challenge facing the sheriff’s office, and how would you address it if elected?

Inside the Office: Lack of Deputies. It is not unusual for a single Deputy to be providing the only law enforcement for all of Cook County. This is not sustainable. I believe an organized, coordinated, and sustained recruiting effort must be conducted.

In the Public: A lack of trust in law enforcement. I am told repeatedly by members of the public that I am the only Deputy they know or the only Deputy that conducts patrol inside their school or business. This can be remedied by directing patrol efforts and community engagement instead of laissez-faire patrol practices.

Please describe your stance on local law enforcement coordinating with federal immigration authorities.

I believe that the mission of the Cook County Sheriff's Office is to protect and serve the public of Cook County. There will be times when the interests of our community and federal law enforcement will be aligned, such as working together to apprehend individuals who present a genuine risk to public safety.

There are also matters which fall firmly outside the mission of local law enforcement, such as visa overstays. I believe the Sheriff's Office should be focused on protecting the rights and safety of the people of Cook 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?

I would prioritize open communications, mutual respect, and having regular engagement with other agencies and offices. These relationships should not be built during a crisis, they should be preexisting and will require regular communication to maintain.

Of particular interest to me is Grand Portage. I believe the Sheriff's Office should be a reliable partner and address the needs of the community there.

How would you seek to address the intersection of mental health issues and criminal justice in calls for service and your jail?

I am very impressed with the work our Sheriff's Office is currently carrying out to ensure equitable and fair treatment of those with mental health issues. I think we do an excellent job of recognizing the distinction between mental health and criminal behavior and do our utmost to prevent people suffering from medical conditions being unfairly persecuted. I think continuing to stay up to date on mental health best practices will keep our community well cared for.

Contributed

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Laura Muus Photography

Website: benhallbergforsheriff.com

Age on Election Day: 49

Community: I live outside of Grand Marais in Cook County.

Employment: I am the interim Sheriff with Cook County Sheriff's Office.

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I've been employed with the Sheriff's Office for 21.5 years. 6.5 as a Dispatcher/Jailer, 10 as a Deputy Sheriff and 5 in administration roles including Jail Administrator/Dispatch Supervisor, Chief Deputy and Interim Sheriff. I was a D.A.R.E. instructor for 8 years, background investigator and Field Training Officer. I completed the Senior Leadership Certificate program through the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. I have an Associate in Science degree in Law Enforcement from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College graduating with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Why are you running?

We have had many changes in the last year, from our Chief Deputy and Sheriff retirements to construction on our Law Enforcement Center. I have been in a leadership role during all of these changes. I would like to be elected Sheriff and continue the work I have been doing with an amazing staff that I have supervised over the years. I would also like to continue working with the new administrators that have taken over my previous positions. Training and mentoring them for the next steps in their careers. With all the changes, I have a consistent presence in our office to keep things running smoothly.

Why should voters elect you?

I think Cook County voters would want to elect me for my extensive experience in all areas of the Sheriff’s Office. I have a well-rounded background that would assist me in leading in times of crisis. Anyone that knows me would say I keep a calm demeanor in any situation I am involved in. I have great working relationships with Sheriff, Chief Deputy and Jail Administrators from other Northeast counties who I can call if needed. That could be a five-minute phone call with a question or asking for mutual aid for a larger incident. We work together to make sure not only our counties, but the Northeast region is represented at the state level when changes are being discussed that with affect what we do.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Paul Wellstone - His quote "We all do better when we all do better" sticks with me. I believe he went into politics not for himself but to work hard to better all people in Minnesota. As Sheriff I would make sure everyone that has contact with our staff is treated equally and in a respectful manner. Treating people the right way no matter the situation will make Cook County a better place for all.

What is the biggest challenge facing the sheriff’s office, and how would you address it if elected?

The biggest challenge facing the Sheriff's Office today is staffing. I would address the issue by continuing to work with our staff to recruit at Police Officer Education Programs in Minnesota. Sending staff to job fairs, keeping lines of communication open with the schools law enforcement coordinators. Housing availability and affordability are also a challenge with hiring new staff to live in Cook County.

Please describe your stance on local law enforcement coordinating with federal immigration authorities.

I do not believe local law enforcement should coordinate with federal immigration authorities to enforce immigration law. Deportation or removal is a matter of federal civil law, it is not criminal. In MN, local law enforcement does not have the authority to arrest or detain someone solely on civil immigration issues.

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?

Building relationships with other agencies means keeping the lines of communication open. Local relationships would consist at a minimum of monthly meetings with agencies who we have the most contact - County Attorney, Public Health and Human Services, Emergency Management. This would apply for county Sheriffs as well, being able to call each other when a question comes up or meeting to talk about regional or statewide issues that could affect all counties.

Cook County does not have tribal law enforcement but as Sheriff I would communicate with the Tribal Chair, Tribal Council and Grand Portage Health and Human Services to make sure we are providing the services they require.

Coordinating training with the Attorney General's office would bring officials together to talk about changes in law and other issues pertaining to law enforcement, helping build that relationship.

How would you seek to address the intersection of mental health issues and criminal justice in calls for service and your jail?

Calls for service intersecting with mental health issues are continuing to rise annually. We work with our partners to address the response - if the call ends without any criminal charges, Public Health and Human Services would assist someone on a short or long term mental health care plan and coordinate with the persons primary care physician. I would like a more robust in-person crisis response on scene instead of bringing someone to the hospital for an evaluation.

More people are coming into the jails dealing with a combination of substance abuse and mental health issues. Commitments for high level mental health issues will allow the person to get the care they need but wait in jail for an available bed, which can take months. Substance use recovery courts are a great way for someone to get help and also stay accountable while working through recovery.