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.
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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 this race
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.
Nashwauk voters will select two of four candidates for City Council.
David Bruns and Sheila Jensen are the race's incumbents.
The winners of the election will begin their four-year term in January.
Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates
Incumbent
Age on Election Day: 65
Employment: US Steel Keetac. Mechanic
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have been on the Nashwauk City Council for the past 6 years.
Why are you running?
I care about our City, and I want to continue working toward improving it, and our quality of life.
Why should voters elect you?
I believe I have been an effective and approachable voice for our residents. I will continue to attempt to move us forward in a fiscally responsible manner.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
The role of the City Council is to responsibly create the budget, laws, policies, and decisions that keep the City moving forward in the best interests of it’s residents.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
No current answer.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
Street and infrastructure deficiencies, lack of business options, current traffic congestion.
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
We need to work more efficiently on acquiring funding for infrastructure projects.
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
While I have some understanding of this issue, I don’t believe it to be a Nashwauk specific issue at this point. I can’t identify a site that would currently be targeted for this.
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
I believe we have done a decent job of tightening our budget, we have made cuts across all departments during each budget cycle.
Incumbent
Age on Election Day: 67
Employment: Deputy Clerk, City of Coleraine
Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.
This will be my second term as Nashwauk City Councilor. The experience of the my initial term plus my role as Deputy Clerk in a nearby town has been a great combination for beginning to understand the inner workings of city government.
Why are you running?
I have enjoyed my first term and believe I can still contribute to the City of Nashwauk through serving on the city council.
Why should voters elect you?
I always try to be cognizant of the taxpayers and how our actions affect them and their wallets. I firmly believe government should be careful in how it spends taxpayers hard-earned money. Both on the council and at my job, I am repeatedly shocked by how much everything costs! And everything that citizens want done, deserve to have done, costs money. A LOT of money. So it is a balancing act every day, trying to accomplish things that need to be done while also being thoughtful in how we spend folks' tax dollars.
I am not afraid to ask questions to better understand an issue, even when it might make me look a bit silly, because I want to be an informed member of the council, making the best decision I can.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Our role is to make decisions on behalf of the taxpayers and citizens of Nashwauk that will best serve the needs of the group as a whole. It's important that we listen to issues and provide the best solutions we can. The responsibilities of a councilor include being available for meetings, including our outside committee assignments, and being prepared for those meetings. Both can be challenging, but it's important to be ready and to be there and to participate in a meaningful way.
Name a public leader you admire and explain why.
I admire Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie. He has stood firmly in his beliefs and convictions in representing his constiuents and America even when he faced massive opposition, even from his own party. That takes guts and commitment to truth. I appreciate that.
What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?
1. Trying to find the money to get things done.
2. The growing pains of having a large industrial business ramping up to begin production.
3. The controversy over the access to Blue Lake has been on a lot of people's minds.
Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?
Actually, all three of the items I listed are connected to the Mesabi Metallics project. The Blue Lake access decision affects MM future plans which will benefit our region with additional jobs; the traffic difficulties, while real and troublesome, are temporary; and the additional revenue that will be coming into the city from MM opening and beginning production will ease some of the city's budgetary strain. I would continue to support the MM project while keeping the needs and concerns of citizens in mind.
What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?
I oppose having any massive data centers built in or around Nashwauk. While the influx of money that some areas are receiving is certainly tempting, depleting or damaging the water resources we all need to live is not worth it. Plus, why suddenly a massive push to build these things all over the country?
"We have to beat China" as a reason is thin. We already have more per population than both China and India.
The US already has 5,381 data centers which equals 15.8 data centers per 1,000 people.
China has 449 data centers equalling 0.32 data centers per 1,000 people.
India has 152 data centers which is only 0.10 data centers per 1,000 people.
We must balance the promises of more money in the city budget with the real impact that these things have on the health and welfare of the humans and animals who live here.
Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?
That's always the hard question, isn't it? The Nashwauk City Council has been dealing with several blight properties for months. The process is long and unbelieveably expensive. While I understand the reasons for wanting blighted properties to be demolished, I'm not sure the costs are bearable. If I was pressed to say No to some spending, I might start there.
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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Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe Mesabi Metallics plant, which will source iron from the company's mine in Nashwauk, may begin producing steel as early as 2030. -
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.
