The election season officially kicks off in Minnesota on Tuesday, May 19, with candidates beginning to file for office.
The first filing period is for offices eligible for the primary election on Aug. 11. Candidates running for state office, U.S. Senate or House, the state Legislature, county office and in some cities and school districts have until June 2 to file.
In partisan races, more than one candidate per party triggers a primary. In nonpartisan races, the number of candidates must be more than double the number of seats for a primary to occur; the primary will narrow the number of candidates to two per seat.
Primaries are possible in all federal, state and county offices. Only some cities and school districts have primaries. In Northern Minnesota, primaries are possibly only in the Red Lake School District and the cities of Bemidji, Brainerd, Buhl, Chisholm, Cloquet, Ely, Eveleth, Gilbert, Hermantown, Hibbing, Iron Junction, McKinley, Mountain Iron, Two Harbors and Virginia.
Filings for municipalities and school districts without primaries open July 14.
The following are searchable lists of candidates who have filed to run in Northern Minnesota compiled by KAXE News, per the Secretary of State's 2026 candidate filings database.
Not sure which districts you're in? Visit the Minnesota Legislature's Who Represents Me? tool or your local county elections office.
Report an error or omission by emailing news@kaxe.org.
We'll use the responses to this survey to help inform our coverage and what type of content we produce. All answers are anonymous and will not be shared outside our organization.
Federal
State Office
State Legislature
County
City
School Board
Red Lake is the only school district in Northern Minnesota with a possible primary. There are four open seats on the Board, so at least nine candidates must file to trigger a primary. With 14 candidates who filed by deadline, there will be a primary.
The following candidates have filed: Fawn Beaulieu, Vestanna Cook, Nicole Desjarlait, Ryan Holthusen, Christopher Jourdain, Sharon Kingbird, Deanna K Lasley, Ron Lussier, Deanna Pemberton, Robert Pemberton Sr., Linda S. Perkins, Jennifer Schoenborn, Tina Stately and Dustin Thunder-Harris.
Judges
Judges at all levels of courts in the state must be elected, although many begin their careers as judges after being appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy. They are up for election every six years.
Candidates for state judicial offices must be licensed to practice law in Minnesota.
Contested judicial races are uncommon, but there is one this year in Northern Minnesota, in the 9th Judicial District.
Judge Matthew R. Mallie, who was appointed in 2019 by Gov. Tim Walz, is being challenged by Henry C. Ambelang in his first election. Ambelang is a public defender in the 9th Judicial District.
