Ninth Judicial District 2026 Election Guide

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.

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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.

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About this race

District court judges hear everything from traffic tickets to murder trials.

Judges typically take the bench after being appointed by the governor, but they must win elections to keep their seats.

Voters elect judges throughout their judicial district, regardless of where that judge is based or chambered.

The Ninth Judicial District includes most of northwestern and north-central Minnesota, including Aitkin, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau counties.

There are 13 judges in the district up for election this year, but only one is contested.

Judge Matthew Mallie, who is chambered in Crow Wing County, is running for reelection. He was first appointed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2019.

The winner of the election will begin their six-year term in January.

Click the tabs below to learn more about the candidates

Henry C. Ambelang Matthew R. Mallie

Henry C. Ambelang

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Matthew R. Mallie

Contributed

Incumbent

Age on Election Day: 56

Community: Brainerd/Baxter of Crow Wing County

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

Prior to my appointment on the bench, in June of 2019, I was a practicing attorney in the Brainerd Lakes area for approximately 20 years. During this time, I served as a city prosecutor for Brainerd, Baxter, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes and Jenkins and as a contract attorney for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. I also practiced in the areas of family law, estate planning, civil litigation, while also serving as a civil city attorney.

Why are you running?

To continue to serve the people of the 9th Judicial District and the State of Minnesota.

Why should voters elect you?

I believe the I am best qualified to serve based on my prior experience as an attorney, prosecutor, and past several years of service as a District Court Judge. I was selected to the bench after an extensive vetting process in which the commission for judicial selections recommended me. This selection was based on my application, letters of reference, a thorough interview process and background check.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

Judge David Ten Eyck. He was always well prepared and thoughtful with his decisions.

What are the biggest challenges you would face in this role, and how would you overcome them?

An ever increasing case load, addressed by working evenings and weekends as needed.

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in the judicial system?

Working with Court Administration to assist and increase access for and with the public.

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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.