Grand Marais 2026 Election Guide

Contributed

Age on Election Day: 33

Employment: I work at Great Expectations Charter School as a special education teacher. I am also part time employed at Poplar Haus Restaurant, Sisu and Loyly Sauna, and the North Shore Winery. I also work as the north shore organizer for Trina Swanson's campaign and am a director of the Cook County DFL.

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

Living in Grand Marais, working with businesses across varying roles in the hospitality and tourist industry is my greatest asset in understanding the adaptive needs of our community. Hospitality industry service paired with my work as a special education teacher at Great Expectations School has allowed me to connect with a sprawling demographic of those in our community from all backgrounds and ages.

I also have worked on Trina Swanson's congressional campaign as an organizer.

My educational base is a bachelor's degree in ecology, behavior, and evolution. I am currently in schooling, working towards a masters in social work. These degrees paired with lived experience working directly with community members and tourists gives me a skillset in recognizing the layers of community and how they interact. These varied roles have shaped me into an approachable active listener that searches for sustainable solutions to diverse issues facing our town.

Why are you running?

I am running to be representative of all demographics that make up Grand Marais and greater Cook County.

My slogan "For all the people, especially you!" While tongue in cheek, it represents my values. I seek to be a representative that listens and combines all people's backgrounds into a town government that works for everyone that chooses to call Grand Marais home or is visiting.

I am running as a force that helps unravel polarization and creates connection between all constituents. I will achieve this by focusing on ways to improve our towns infrastructure, schools, and business interface through collaboration with county, district, state, and federal entities.

We need young people stepping up to help lead us away from antiquated ideas driving us apart. We have each other. When our unique backgrounds are heard, we can find ways of improving together.

Why should voters elect you?

I listen to the people, businesses and other entities that make up our town. After listening, I encourage civic participation of those that make up Grand Marais so we can work together to create real solutions.

I am a director of the local democratic party and have direct connections to state and federal government leaders. This non-partisan position will act as a means to utilize those connections to bridge everyday voters' access to those funding our budgets.

I am a sounding board for the needs of community members and will create unique solutions to issues. We need sustainable growth and a city council that is looking forward to a future.

I am here to listen, please reach out. Be heard and help shape a Grand Marais that works for all of us.

Vote Kufa for council.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

The roles of city council in Grand Marais are to approve city budgets for infrastructure, create city ordinances/resolutions, and to create future plans for maintaining the vision of the community.

There are other roles including approving zoning and housing. The council also approves improvements to roads and access to utilities.

A role not necessarily directly outlined that I believe is pivotal is encouraging public involvement and opinion. It is also the role of the council to bridge connection with the county commissioners and Grand Portage tribal leadership to foster a relationship that allows for growth on the city and county level since both are deeply intertwined.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

A public leader that I admire is Tina Smith.

Working in the service industry I served her on multiple occasions. She was always so approachable and friendly and willing to hear the opinion of anyone that crossed her path.

Her ability to be present with each person that she came into contact with and take their concerns to heart highlighted her time as senator and I hope to continue that as city councilor.

What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?

The needed infrastructure improvements to the sewage treatment plant. At peak tourist capacity the scent of sewage permeates.

The cost of housing has skyrocketed after 2020 and people cannot afford to buy a house that are providing for the tourist industry.

Support for retirees as the population ages.

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

The sewage treatment plant needs expediency and creative solutions. I would start by enacting incentives for low flow toilets, shower heads, and sinks. This would lessen the issues while the system is being upgraded.

What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?

I do not support data centers being built in the county. We need to make rules against NDAs for elected officials in the county so something similar to Hermantown council signing NDAs does not happen here. There should be city and county agreements to stop the creation of a data center from ever happening in Cook County. There should also be resolutions to never allow AI surveillance through flock cameras or similar surveillance in Cook County.

Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?

Ideally we would be able to stave off cutting the budget. I would like to do this through opening a municipal cannabis dispensary in the next 4 years. With the amount of tourism coming through the town we would hopefully raise enough funds for these cuts to not happen.

If cuts were mandatory some items that stick out are the firework displays that happen on the fourth of July and fishermans picnic. Though it would be disappointing, this would save a significant amount of money and have beneficial environmental impacts and fire prevention.

Cuts to public art displays would also be something that could be cut, however I would seek funding through other means of grant funds.

Big ticket items like new vehicles are something to be evaluated as well. New vehicles should not be purchased unless they are completely necessary.

Incumbent

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Incumbent

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.