Who's running in the 2022 Central Minnesota elections? Meet the candidates

Becca Most, St. Cloud Times
·5 min read
Voters wait in line to vote early in person at St. Cloud City Hall Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Visit sctimes.com for live election results after the polls close Tuesday night, and look for results in Thursday's print edition of the Times.
Voters wait in line to vote early in person at St. Cloud City Hall Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Visit sctimes.com for live election results after the polls close Tuesday night, and look for results in Thursday's print edition of the Times.

A number of elected positions at the city, school district and county level around Central Minnesota will be filled by voters via a primary election Aug. 9 and the general election Nov. 8.

Candidates for other municipal and school district office races that don't hold primaries can file Aug. 2-16. This includes city council and mayor seats in St. Augusta, St. Joseph and Waite Park, as well as seats on the Sauk Rapids-Rice and Sartell-St. Stephen school boards.

Here is a list of who is running in races around Central Minnesota this year:

St. Cloud

All four city council ward seats are up for election this year. Dave Masters (incumbent) is the only candidate for Ward 1. Sandra Brakstad, Seal Dwyer and Karen Larson are running to represent Ward 2; Incumbent Steve Laraway did not file for re-election. Jake Anderson and incumbent Paul Brandmire running for Ward 3 and incumbent Mike Conway and Hassan Yussuf are running for Ward 4.

Voters will determine at the August primary which two Ward 2 candidates will advance to the November ballot.

St. Cloud Area School Board

A voter approaches the registration table at First Presbyterian Church toward evening on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in St. Cloud.
A voter approaches the registration table at First Presbyterian Church toward evening on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in St. Cloud.

Eight people are running for three St. Cloud Area School Board spots this year. Current board members include Scott Andreasen, Al Dahlgren, Zachary Dorholt, Les Green, Shannon Haws and Natalie Ringsmuth (Copeland).

Candidates include Mike Bueckers, Theresa Carlstedt, Dorholt, Chantal Oechsle, Bashir Omer, Nicole Rierson, Ringsmuth and Heather Weems. Les Green did not file for another term.

Voters will determine at the August primary the six candidates who will advance to the November ballot.

Sartell

Two city council seats are contended this year, which are currently held by Jeff Kolb and Tim Elness. Elness, Brad Gunderson, Stacy Lundeen and Jed Meyer are running for the seats.

Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum is running unopposed.

Sauk Rapids

Election judge Dave Warne positions a sign directing voters to the polling place during the Minnesota presidential primary election Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at St. Cloud State University.
Election judge Dave Warne positions a sign directing voters to the polling place during the Minnesota presidential primary election Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at St. Cloud State University.

Two city council seats are up for election this year, currently held by Jason Ellering and Ellen Thronson. Both Ellering and Thronson are running for re-election, and Kyle Boron and Clinton Holmgren are also running for city council.

More: Sauk Rapids-Rice graduates 268 seniors in class of 2022

Stearns County

All of the Stearns County commissioners' seats, as well as the county attorney, auditor-treasurer and sheriff positions, are up for election.

Tarryl Clark is running unopposed for re-election in District 1. Joe Perske is running unopposed for re-election in District 2.

Incumbent Jeff Mergen withdrew his candidacy June 1, triggering the opening of a special filing period in District 3. The seven candidates include Tina Barak, Barry M. Belknap, Jeff Bertram, Daniel W. Goebel, Kelly Guest, Walter M. Moorhouse and Charles E. Ward.

More:7 people compete for Stearns County District 3 seat after filing period reopened

Darrell Bruestle, Lana Feddema and incumbent Leigh Lenzmeier are running in District 4. Steven Notch is running unopposed for re-election in District 5.

Randy Schreifels is running unopposed for re-election for county auditor/treasurer. Steve Soyka is running unopposed for re-election as county sheriff and Janelle Kendall is running unopposed for re-election as county attorney.

Benton County

Election officials assist voters as they check in Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at the MAC in St. Cloud.
Election officials assist voters as they check in Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at the MAC in St. Cloud.

Two county commissioner seats, as well as the county attorney, auditor-treasurer, and sheriff positions, will be decided this year in Benton County.

Ed Popp is running unopposed for re-election in District 2 and Steve Heinen is running unopposed for re-election is District 3.

Healther Bondhus, Sean Gitch, Christine Scherbing and incumbent Nadean Inman are running for the county auditor-treasurer position.

More: Benton County files lawsuit against Auditor-Treasurer Nadean Inman

Last month the county announced that it plans to sue Inman after a police investigation found she might have not lived in the county for about 18 months, as required by law.

Troy Heck is running unopposed for re-election as county sheriff and Karl Schmidt is running for county attorney.

Current Benton County Attorney Philip Miller did not file for re-election. Miller was charged last year with three counts of criminal sexual conduct; the case is pending.

Sherburne County

Voters fill out their ballots during the Minnesota presidential primary election Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at the St. Cloud Public Library.
Voters fill out their ballots during the Minnesota presidential primary election Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at the St. Cloud Public Library.

Four county commissioner seats, as well as the county attorney, auditor-treasurer, sheriff and recorder, are on the ballot this year in Sherburne County.

Barbara Burandt and Andrew Hulse are running for District 1, Raeanne Danielowski, Paul Fanberg and Jacob Peterson are running for District 2, Gregg Felber and Mark Swanson and running for District 3.

Gary Gray, Jerome "Lefty" Kleis, Carol Lewis (a current St. Cloud City Council member), Eric Meyer and Kari Watkins are running for District 4, which includes a portion of southeast St. Cloud. Current District 4 Commissioner Felix Schmiesing announced his retirement in April.

Incumbent Diane Arnold and Chad Westberg are running for the county auditor-treasurer seat and incumbent Michelle Ashe is running unopposed for re-election as county recorder.

Joel Brott is running unopposed for re-election as county sheriff and Kathleen Heaney is running unopposed for re-election as county attorney.

More: Section finals loom for St. Cloud-area track and field athletes

Minnesota Congressional seats

Incumbent Tom Emmer, R-Delano, and Jeanne Hendricks, DFL-St. Louis Park, are running for Minnesota's 6th Congressional District seat.

Incumbent Jeff Howe, R-St. Cloud, Ashley Burg, R-Cold Spring, and Alissa Brickman, DFL-Sauk Rapids, are running for the Senate District 13 seat.

Incumbent Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Andrea Robinson, DFL-Cold Spring, are running for the State Representative District 13A seat.

Incumbent Tim O'Driscoll, R-Sartell, and Melissa Bromenschenkel, DFL-Sartell, are running for the State Representative District 13B seat.

More: Central Minnesota's District 13 makes history with 1st all-woman party ticket in St. Cloud area

Voters arrive to cast their ballots Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Sauk Rapids Government Center.
Voters arrive to cast their ballots Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the Sauk Rapids Government Center.

Incumbent Aric Putnam, DFL-St. Cloud, and Tama Theis, R-St. Cloud, are running for the Minnesota State Senate District 14 seat. Theis currently serves as the State Representative for District 14A.

Bernie Perryman, R-St. Augusta, and Tami Calhoun, DFL-St. Cloud, are running for State Representative District 14A.

Incumbent Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, and Aaron Henning, R-St. Cloud, are running for State Representative District 14B.

You can learn about how to register to vote, file for election and more at https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/.

Becca Most is a cities reporter with the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-241-8213 or bmost@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter at @becca_most. 

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This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Meet candidates running for office in St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids