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.
City Council (Elect Two)
Scott Brenny
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 35
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Essentia Health, Med/Surg Sitter
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I served on the city council in hill city before I moved to nashwauk.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Approves city ordinances, Levy taxes, Determine goals and priorities.
Why are you running for office?
Because I want to make sure the town I now call home is the best it can be for all it's citizens.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
Community Engagement and Involvement. Ambulance Service Improvement. Road and Sidewalk Renovation.
Across the region, renters and owners are struggling to afford housing. If elected, what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?
Improve housing voucher programs. Inventory and allocate public land for affordable housing.
What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
Save energy at home, much of our electricity and heat are powered by coal, oil and gas.
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 belive that taxes are a necessary evil but they should always be used to improve the lives and living areas of the constituents that are being taxed. That's also why there needs to be transparency on where every dollar is going and how it's benefiting you.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government. Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing.
David Bruns
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Eric F. Crist
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Tom Martire
KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.
Jared Morse
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 45
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Itasca County Sheriffs Office
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
I have had the privilege to work for a small agency and work closely with the local city council. I will ask the tough questions of the city as I am representing the citizens of the community.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
I will be elected by citizens that I represent and also live within the community that I serve to represent there voices honestly, ethically, and with integrity. Respect others differences of opinions and prepare for issues coming before the council.
Why are you running for office?
The thoughts and concerns of the entire community need to be acknowledged and to the best of our ability as council members.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
Ask tough questions, hold people accountable for their actions and help manage the spending with the citizens thoughts and concerns in mind.
Across the region, renters and owners are struggling to afford housing. If elected, what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?
Take a look at the yearly budgets, wages, and spending to see where cuts can be made or funds placed to try and of set financial burdens for citizens.
From our audience: What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
Look at and review the policy on solar power for the community.
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.
There has been a miss management of equal taxes through out the city. Wages that meet the size of the community. There are programs that taxes are used for that could be reallocated to help our citizens live day to day.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
Listen to the citizens concerns and fight for them to the best of my abilities. The local government works for the citizens and not the other way around and there money needs to be accounted for.
Riley Allen Savolainen
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 30 years old
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Sheriff’s deputy Itasca County Sheriff’s Office
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
Through my work in public safety I have had the privilege to attend numerous leadership, communication, and decision making trainings.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
Make decisions for the city while keeping the tax payers best interests at the forefront.
Why are you running for office?
I believe it is time for a change. The hard questions need to be asked and answers demanded. Spending and salaries are out of control which needs to be addressed. Keep emergency services alive and well within the city.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
Reel in spending of the taxpayers money. Evaluate positions, salaries etc. Find more ways to retain and maintain PD, fire, and EMS. Identify and implement new attractions to bring more tourism in. Expand atv and snowmobile trails. Create more opportunity for families and children to get outside and have fun!
Across the region, renters and owners are struggling to afford housing. If elected, what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?
Nashwauk has an addition which has 2 houses in it. With the money the city has invested to purchase and install utilities on the land I believe it would be wise to find an entity which would build and sell houses in the area. It would be two fold to increase modern housing while also boosting tax value.
What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
Making maintenance and updating city utilities and equipment a priority so the city is adequately prepared to handle any sort of change whatever it may be.
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.
Nashwauk residents have quite the tax burden right now. I can personally say my yearly taxes have nearly doubled in the last few years. The city needs to make every effort possible to keep taxes at a minimum especially now that the taxpayers are funding a new high school. This starts with responsible spending on the city’s part. I also believe there needs to be a top down evaluation of positions and salaries to find where efficiencies can be made within the city.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
I would ask the difficult uncomfortable questions of the city which the taxpayers want answered. I would like to see all union contracts available on the city website as they are public information. It is also important to show where and why taxpayer dollars are being spent. The biggest piece to this is being available for honest and open conversation with the community. The taxpayers deserve to be answered when they have questions or concerns.
Terry Sullivan
Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 66
Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Retired Captain Minnesota Department of Corrections. I Was the Program Director at MCF-Togo
Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
During my career in corrections I managed a multi-million-dollar budget and supervised over 60 employees. I previously served for seven years on the council. My expirences on the council will be helpful in managing city budgets, departments and negotiating future contracts.
Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
The council is responsible to assure that core services are being provided while making sure that available tax dollars are being spent wisely. This is done by proactively planning for needed expenses and repairs so that costs are included in the required balanced budget submitted at the begining of the year. The council is also responsible to supervise city departments to assure the day-to-day operation of the city is running in an efficient manner.
Why are you running for office?
The last 6 years the city’s levy has increased each year with a high of 10% in 2024. Fees have also been increased some multiple times. I believe we could do a better job of controlling our spending. We also have lost most of the recreational activities we provided for our kids. I would like to bring those activities back. I feel I am uniquely qualified, I have the time and I want to give back to the community.
What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
While citizens don’t want to see further tax increases, they want roads and sidewalks fixed. I will not increase our levy. We will do better managing department spending focusing on needs. We will run the day to day operation of the city more efficiently so that it is possible to make needed repairs without increasing our taxes.
I plan to ask questiions and scrutinize spending.
I plan to Improve recreational opportunities for our kids.
I plan to work with community education to assure our citizens have access at the new community center throughout the day and into the evening with a variety of program options for residents of all ages.
I will work with department heads to assure accountabilty of our tax dollars.
I will welcome and encourage ideas and participation from our citizens.
Across the region, renters and owners are struggling to afford housing. If elected, what would you do to address the issues of availability and affordability for your constituents?
Our city will be taking over a city block form the school district once the old school has been removed. This could be an opportunity to work with an interested partner to develop housing in our community. There would need to be much research done before determining if our community needs additional housing.
What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
In our small town we can support things such as our community garden and recycling. We also can work to keep and bring in new buisnesses so our citizens don't have to use their cars to drive to a another town on a regular basis to buy various goods and services.
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.
Tax dollars are needed. Our county raised our sales tax to build the new jail. Our school district approved a new school. Last year our city increased our tax levy by 10%. It has been a lot for some to absorb. Moving forward our focus should be on needs rather than wants, these are times when we should be willing to cut spending in order to avoid tax increases.
How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
The current process has the needed transperency, we need to encourage participation from the community so they are more aware of what is happening in local government. We have to give the people a sense that their opinions matter. When people reach to out offer their services we need to welcome them and not turn them away.
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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