GRAND RAPIDS — The death of a county commissioner running for reelection has created a unique situation in Itasca County, with multiple write-in candidates submitting their names for consideration.
Itasca County Commissioner Burl Ives died Sept. 11. He was first elected in 2016 to represent District 4, which includes southern Itasca County and parts of Grand Rapids. He died 55 days before Election Day, so his name will remain on the ballot, alongside opponent Brian Oftelie.
In his submission for KAXE’s Election Guide, 67-year-old Grand Rapids resident Oftelie said he is running for office "to help people live as a good a life as possible.”
If Ives were to win the election posthumously, Itasca County Auditor/Treasurer Austin Rohling said the Board would have to declare another vacancy.
"They’ve already done it for his current term, but they would declare another vacancy, which would trigger a special election,” he explained.
Rohling said there would be a primary if more than two candidates filed, and the exact dates of the primary and general elections would be selected from a list of possible dates allowed by the state.
Rusty Eichorn is a friend of Ives and a former county commissioner, whom Ives defeated in the 2016 election. He’s been posting in support of Ives’ campaign on social media and is distributing yard signs at his business, Glen’s Army Navy Store. One post stated that triggering a special election would allow voters to "choose from a field of candidates willing to serve the county."
In Minnesota, write-in candidates for county office must file a written request for their votes to be counted. Rohling said his office has received requests from Gordon Stram, Hugh Quinn and Dick Sackett.
Quinn told KAXE he is "no longer going to be a candidate."
Stram announced his candidacy on Facebook Sept. 24, but shared Tuesday, Oct. 1, that he was suspending his campaign.
"I’ve come to realize there isn’t enough time to run an effective write-in campaign. I am asking everyone to vote for the late Burl Ives in the 4th district," he wrote.
"To reiterate, a vote for Burl is not thrown out. To my understanding, if he wins, it will trigger a special election later. That way, the candidates will be on the ballot and the voters will have a better idea where the candidates stand. I will let you all know if I decide to run for the office at that time."
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