KAXE contacted every candidate twice using contact information submitted to the Secretary of State's Office to invite them to participate in our Election Guide.
Candidate responses have not been edited and are published as submitted.
As necessary, our news team added contextual information clearly marked with an "editor's note" and in italics, though responses have not been uniformly fact-checked. With our small team of three, we are unable to proactively fact check every statement made by candidates. But 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 only includes candidates in contested races. Visit our full list of who's running for office in Northern Minnesota to see who else is on the ballot.
Steve Hudson Cotariu
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 68
City/Township of residence: Merrifield
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Self-employed
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
Steve “Hudson” Cotariu is an educator, veteran, and small business owner. With an MBA in finance from The Wharton School, Cotariu can understand the budget and help identify areas for improvement. He spent four years teaching physics at the college level and in his own business helps kids build confidence and communication skills while they learn magic. Cotariu spent 13 years in the Army. He knows how to get the job done and has the drive and discipline to do it.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Provide overall direction for the Crosby-Ironton School District. Ensure we operate within budget while providing an excellent education to our students.
Why are you running for office?
The current school board and administration have ignored the looming budget shortfall and we are now in a crisis situation. We need to fix the root causes of the budget shortfall and not set the district up for another crisis ten years from now.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Only 55% of our elementary students are meeting math and reading standards. This has to change. We need to focus on getting students school-ready by expanding the pre-K program and ensuring that every child eligible for pre-K attends.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
There are two primary challenges facing the school district: budget shortfall and poor student performance. Only 55% of our elementary students are meeting standards in math or reading. State funding is based on enrollment, but only 1/3 of the eligible C-I students attend our schools. The rest either homeschool or attend other schools. Improving student performance will encourage parents to send their children back to C-I schools and go a long way toward addressing our budget shortfall.
High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
The State provides approximately $7300 per student enrolled in our schools. Right now fully 1/3 of eligible students choose to go elsewhere or are homeschooled. We need to reverse the declining enrollment by providing a better education experience and this will relax the pressure on our current budget issues.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
Current school board meetings lack meaningful interaction with teachers or parents. The school board needs to hold informal information sessions and conduct parent surveys regularly. The PTA should have easy access to the school board and serve as an additional conduit of information to the board.
Michael Domin
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Casey Kannel
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Laura Lee
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Mark Taylor
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Hannah Wesner
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 37
City/Township of residence: Wolford
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
National Sealant & Concrete, LLC - President
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I own and operate a small business with my husband, lead our youth sports program in the area and co-lead a self esteem boosting program for girls.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
As a school board member, we are elected to oversee the policies and procedures of the school. We hire and evaluate the superintendent. We advocate for the students in our district and adopt and share a vision of the district as a whole.
Why are you running for office?
I see the need for fresh ideas and more involvement from those who are in and around the school on a regular basis to serve on the school board. I currently have 3 kids in the district and although I already volunteer a lot, I want to be a part of our school's future and direction. I believe my effective communication skills are a huge asset to the board and I want to see more transparency and accountability. I look forward to meaningful conversations and problem solving from the top down.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Currently our school is facing major funding issues and declining enrollment. Since Covid-19, our education system and the needs and wants of parents/students has changed. We need to evolve and problem solve. Our community is full of innovators and I plan to utilize our resources.
Most recently, our current superintendent's contract was not renewed therefore we will be tasked with seeking out and hiring a new superintendent. I think this is of utmost importance in how our school district moves forward in so many ways. If we do not have an effective superintendent, this will trickle down into so many facets of our school district. Reading and math scores will decline, we will have large staff turnover, the community will lose faith in the school, etc. Finding an effective superintendent is going to be crucial.
Increased communication and trust are another priority. More information needs to be put forward from our board and we need to bridge the gap between our board and the community/staff.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Funding and declining enrollment. This is something that is plaguing our district right now and we are not going to be able to continue to make cuts and not expect our students and staff to suffer. Reading and math scores will continue to go down with larger class sizes and limited staff. We need to find ways to increase revenue and keep/attract students.
High taxation is a concern for many Northern Minnesotans. Please share any specific opinions you hold related to taxation, and how you plan to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively.
Lack of funding from the state is an issue but I think we as a district need to take some responsibility in how the money is being spent. We can't continue to blame our financial issues ALL on the state. The state does put out several mandates that schools must fund and not all of those mandates are covered by the funds we receive from tax dollars. So, part of our operating budget must go to these things. But, I believe each District must take some responsibility for not having the foresight and action when enrollment continues to decline.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
By being an effective communicator and being open and honest. As someone who volunteers regularly and is in and around the school frequently, I still don't always know how to find out answers about things on a board level. Our school is failing in this regard. We should be able to easily see when committee meetings are or when special board meetings are held. The community should feel welcome and encouraged to ask questions and be invested in our schools.
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.
