Virginia 2024 Election Guide

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.

Election Guide Homepage

Incumbent: No

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Incumbent: No
Age on Election Day: 67

Where are you currently employed, and what is your role?
Retired. When I worked, I was employed by MN-DOT and worked in purchasing.

Please share any prior experience that you believe qualifies you for office.
When employed, I along with two co-workers had an annual budget of five million dollars. I know how to be fiscally responsible.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.
To make sure the city runs within their annual budget and to make sure the city keeps their employees gainfully employed. The city council has to make sure all departments within the city are funded to maintain their current status.

Why are you running for office?
I am running for this office because I feel I can make a difference in the lives of the residents of this community. I understand the importance of maintaining a budget that can fund all departments. I understand the importance of getting involved. I have time to devote to this position.

What are your priorities, if elected? Please describe specific policy goals.
I believe that the city council members should not have full family medical insurance paid for by the city. I would like to see medical insurance paid for council members by the council members, not by the city. I would like to see a tax levy that is high enough to fully fund all necessary aspects of the city. I would like to see the library not sustain any further cuts within their budget. I feel that the library is an essential part of the city, and they have already sustained too many cuts to their budget.

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?
I would like to see some of the tax forfeited properties renovated so that they could then be sold or rented out if possible. If these properties were renovated and sold, they would serve a dual purpose. There would then be more money in the budget by putting these houses back on the tax roll and it could help more people to become homeowners. When people are homeowners instead of just renters, they tend to stay in a city longer and are more likely to want to raise their family here and take more pride in the city.

What effective policies will you support that will prepare your city now, next year and in the future to improve resiliency against climate change?
Recyling needs to become something that is encouraged for each household. The city should find it in their budget to go back to curbside recycling.

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 think the tax levy for Virginia is relatively cheaper than living in any big city and it is comparable to other small towns on the Iron Range. If we want to keep the services we currently have, we need to have a high enough tax levy to maintain what we have (road repairs, sidewalk repairs, snow plowing in a timely manner and garbage pick-up by the city)

How do you plan to improve transparency and trust in government?
I will answer questions in a truthful manner and will look at both sides of an issue with an open mind before voting for or against any projects.

Incumbent: Yes

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Incumbent: Yes

This candidate declined KAXE’s invitations to participate in the Election Guide.

Incumbent: No

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Incumbent: No

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Return to Election Guide

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.