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.
Dennis Anderson
Incumbent: No
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Julia A. Kicker
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Helen Lehto
Incumbent: Yes
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Sara Makela
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 43
City/Township of residence: Menahga, Blueberry Township
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Menahga Concrete Products, Inc Office Manager
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
My children are, and will be, third generation graduates of Menahga High School. I have lived in Menahga for most of my life and I am a familiar face in both the school and the community.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
I believe the school board's responsibility is to help create a welcoming and safe environment for all children to receive an exceptional education experience. They do that by establishing and enforcing fair policies for all students and teachers, establishing and sticking to a smart budget to provide the necessary tools for both students and teachers, and being an avenue to connect the community and school together.
Why are you running for office?
I am advocate of my children and their education and I feel I can be an equal voice for them, and their fellow students. I want to give back to the community that I call home.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific goals.
My goal is to stress the importance of a public education experience for all children. I believe strongly in the life skills learned by interacting with people of all walks of life, encountering adverse ideologies and working through them, and learning to acknowledge and respect the differing opinions of others. When you combine that with educational lessons provided by professionals who have dedicated their careers to each of their specialties, ensuring children the most well rounded, researched collection of information, and add fun, competitive sporting events, fine arts showcases, and all extra curricular activities that are supported by the community, lifelong memories, relationships, and support systems are created.
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing your district, and how do you plan to overcome them?
I am not aware of any major challenges facing our district at this time. I do know that the topic of rebranding has been troublesome. I would like to see the Menahga "brand" stay the same, but in the event, it is out of the district's hands, I would like to assist the school, board, and community come to a resolution that satisfies the majority of the people.
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.
I believe that open and honest communication with the tax payers directly effected should be the highest priority when deciding how to use the tax dollars. Coming to resolutions that meet the districts needs and maintaining manageable taxation should be the ultimate goal.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in your school board?
An open line of communication between the board, the school and the community is key. By making all parties comfortable to converse in an honest, respectful manner, there can be no room for speculation.
Cherie Peterson
Incumbent: Yes
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.