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.
Four-year School Board
Emily Bartnes
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Kerry Claypool-Lambert
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 49
City/Township of residence: Detroit Lakes/Erie
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Mental Health Crisis Practitioner at White Earth Mental Health
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I am a mom of five and step mom of three. All but one of those kids has grown up. My four grown kids all attended Detroit Lakes Schools after we moved to Detroit Lakes in 2013. My youngest is three years old, and just started preschool at Lincoln Education Center. Two of my kids and one of my step kids were helped through school with IEPs.
I also was a foster parent for many years, and advocated for my foster kids, many of whom had special needs.
In 2013 I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social work from Bemidji State University. I majored in social work and minored in indigenous studies. I am not native, but firmly believe we have a responsibility to learn about the people whose land we live on. After graduation I embarked on a career I love serving the people of the White Earth Nation.
I am a fast learner. I was able to obtain my bachelor’s degree in 3 years. I have a passion for helping children with special needs, and want to help them and their families as they attend our schools. I also value diversity. Our school district is diverse, and all our families deserve to feel heard, respect, and valued.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Create policies pertaining to the school district
Develop and approve the budget
Review expenditures
Hire and evaluate the position of superintendent
Advocate for students and families
Why are you running for office?
The reason I am running is twofold. I had several friends come to me and suggest I run for school board, and they gave two reasons. One is that several families expressed a feat that their special needs kids are getting swept under the rug. I want to make sure the kids with special needs are not pushed aside, but have representation and someone looking out for them at the level of education where policies are made. The other reason that was highlighted by families I know is that Native American students needed someone in their corner. I am not native, but I have ties to the native community. I will be a voice for our Native American families. I believe that the Detroit Lakes school district is filled with diversity, and I want to ensure that all our families have representation.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
My priorities will be the families in our school district. Specifically my goals will be to ensure our special education students and their families have advocates at the table. I also want to highlight diversity and inclusion.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
As a parent and community member one challenge I have heard brought up often is improvements to schools. When we moved to Detroit Lakes in 2013, my kids attended Roosevelt, the middle school and the high school before any renovations were made. My youngest son graduated in 2023. He attended high school through the pandemic and also saw the renovations. These were needed, and greatly improved the learning experience of our children. We still have buildings in our district that need attention to keep our kids safe and learning.
Another challenge that has been brought up is attendance. I will work to look at trends and address reasons why kids are not attending school. Helping families identify and address barriers will be key in improving attendance.
One challenge that faces communities everywhere is safety. Kids need to feel safe in school. Safe from bullies and any other threats. Kids cannot learn if they don’t feel safe. Teachers cannot teach if they don’t feel safe. This is an issue I hope to hear from students, teachers, parents and the community about, and plan to make school safety a priority.
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 safety and education of our children should be the priority of our community. If elected i understand that how taxes are spent to insure our kids are safe and educated matters. I will take care to study the issues, research solutions, listen to concerns from the community, and work towards ensuring goals are met and dollars are used wisely.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
There is already a frameworks in place to highlight transparent in the budget. This can be found at https://mn.gov/mmb/transparency-mn/
If elected I will work to make sure that families and school staff feel heard and supported. Public input and debate can be fantastic tools to build and work towards progress together. I will always listen and consider input from the community. We can all learn from each other and work together to make sure our kids have a wonderful school experience and a bright future.
Gary L. Coson
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 68
City/Township of residence: Detroit Lakes, MN
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Yes. I work in Maintenance.
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I am a US Army veteran, Finance Corps, also my expertise on Education and the US Constitution. I will be bringing my expertise on the US Constitution to the School Board in regards to the MN Department of Education and US Department of Education mandates to teach your FAKE Democracy; unless you can show me where in the WRITTEN Constitution it says that we are a Democracy, whereby you have no rights as stipulated in the Amendments to the United States WRITTEN Constitution.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
For the School Board it is to protect our children from being indoctrinated into your FAKE country and make sure they are getting the education they need to be successful in obtaining a college degree right out of High School.
Why are you running for office?
I am running to make sure that the school district is teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic as well as other subjects that they will need since the US Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Education does not do their jobs in this regard since they only care about the money and not our educations.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
Well: 1. Demand by mandate that the School District teach what a Democracy actually means, i.e. African Americans do NOT have the right to vote (15th Amendment); Women do not have the right to vote (19th Amendment); 18 to 20 year old's do not have the right to vote (26th Amendment). 2. Demand, by subpoena, the Minnesota Department of Education appear before the Board, to prove to us that we are a Democracy with the WRITTEN Constitution. 3. Make sure that there is no shenanigans with the budget, like spending excessively at the end of the year so that we can ask for twice the amount of money for the new year. 4. Encourage the students intelligence and not make them feel like they are mentally retarded. As I get into it more I will be adding more to this section.
Editor's Note: This candidate's views here appear to reference Originalism — a philosophy that espouses that amendments to the U.S. Constitution ratified into law by a majority of states are invalid. It instead focuses on the original Constitution without giving weight to constitutional amendments.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
As I stated above teaching your FAKE Democracy is a very big challenge and as I stated that is what I intend to do.
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.
As I stated earlier, we have to begin with educating our children and grandchildren before we worry about the money; because, when we worry about the money first we fail our children and grandchildren. Their education is the most important of any issue you want to ask about and second make sure that they are taught the truth and not lies because they are the future leaders of tomorrow so that they can make better choices than what we have made by their intelligence instead of hearsay.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
As I stated, either teach the WRITTEN Constitution or if you want to teach your FAKE Constitution (Democracy) then teach what that means as well i.e. African Americans, Women and 18 to 20 year old's.
Nerissa Hendrickson
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Julie Smith-Yliniemi
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
John Steffl
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Michael Walther
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 75
City/Township of residence: Callaway
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
retired
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
about 25 years teaching, foster parent, church youth leader, Church jail services , Callaway town council, PATH state board,
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
To support with superintendent and principals in a manner that keeps the school on mission
Why are you running for office?
To assist in keeping the school on mission: I believe the primary role of the school is to teach academic skills and needed for students to become
productive members of American Society, including Reading, Writing, Math, Civics as well preparing for participation in the workforce and independent living.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
To be a part of keeping the district on mission, which is to equip student to become productive citizens. This is in contrasts to social engineering, upstaging the rights and responsibilities of parents, and attempting to fulfill the mission of other institutions in our society.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
District are largely mandated to follow Federal and State mandates. The school can try to fulfill the harmful requirements at a minimum, while trying to keep the school on mission.
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.
Please forgive the redundancy but primarily by doing the boards part to keep the school on mission. The primary role of the school is to teach academic skills and needed for students to become productive members of American Society, including Reading, Writing, Math, Civics as well preparing for participation in the workforce and independent living. In addition tax burden can be eased by supporting non-public education. Remembering that the goal of the school is to equip students rather than to perpetuate the public school institution.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
By listening to concerns and requesting alternative viable solutions.
Susan Walther
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Nancy Zehnacker
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Two-year School Board
Jon Freeman
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Sanford "Sandy" Nelson
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 69
City/Township of residence: Richwood township
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Retired
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I’ve worked in education for 48 years as a public school teacher, school administrator/ principal, and adjunct professor.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
School Board Candidate for the two year special election.
Why are you running for office?
I am a “Kids First” candidate, passionate about education and what quality schooling can do to improve the lives of children.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
If elected, my priorities will be to advocate for “What’s Best for Kids,” by ensuring that school funding and resources are focused on hiring and maintaining excellent staff, providing academic curriculum and programs that prepare students to be productive citizens and adults, and to support family and community involvement in our school.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
Teacher and support staff shortages are impacting schools across Minnesota.
I believe we should explore and implement a variety of creative strategies to actively recruit quality candidates for our school.
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.
Inflation and high taxes have become a burden for all Minnesotans. As a school board member, I will work to ensure our district is fiscally accountable to tax payers. I will support Excellence for every student and focus our funding and resources on the following: hire and retain excellent staff, provide curriculum and programs that result in academic growth, emphasis achievement and prepare each student to be a productive citizens and adults.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
I recognize and have experienced the results of strong family and community support in schools.
I will actively seek out the opinions and expertise of school staff, parents, and community members and share feedback received with fellow Board members and school administration. I will use this public input to strengthen my decision making ability.
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.
