Scores of candidates have filed to run in the Nov. 5 municipal and school district elections in Washington County. The filing period ended at 5 p.m. Tuesday; candidates have until 5 p.m. Thursday to withdraw.
Afton
In Afton, the incumbent mayor is running for re-election, as are two incumbent city council members.
Mayor Bill Palmquist and city council members Randy Nelson or Annie Perkins are all running unopposed.
Bayport
Mayor Michele Hanson, who was first elected in 2010, is running unopposed. There are two seats on the council up for election this fall. Longtime Bayport City Council member Connie Carlson has decided not to run for re-election. Council member Ethan Gilmore is running for re-election; Carl Bliss and Dave Farr also have filed.
Baytown Township
All three township supervisor races in Baytown Township are contested this fall. Nicole Dahl and Jon Wood have filed for Seat 1; Town Board Vice Chairman Rick Weyrauch has decided not to run for re-election. Town Board Supervisor George Dierberger is running for re-election for Seat 2; he is being challenged by Christopher Randazzo. Town Board Chairman John Hall is running for re-election for Seat 5; he is being challenged by Paul S. Johnson.
Voters in Baytown Township also will be asked to vote on whether they think the township should incorporate. The question on the ballot will read: “Would you recommend the Baytown Township Board of Supervisors pass a resolution to file a petition under Minn. Stat. § 414.02 to incorporate Baytown as a city?”
Birchwood Village
In the lakeside community of Birchwood Village, the mayor’s seat, now held by Margaret Ford, is up for election and sought by a former mayor. Two council seats also are up for grabs, with three candidates in the race.
Mayoral candidate Mary Wingfield served as mayor from 1985-86, 2009-2010, 2013-2022; Jennifer Arsenault also is running.
Three candidates are running for the two open seats on the council: Ryan Eisele, Peter Holstad and Bridget Sperl. Mark Foster and Justin McCarthy decided not to run for re-election.
Cottage Grove
In Cottage Grove, Mayor Myron Bailey is running unopposed, and three candidates are vying for two city council seats: David Clausen, incumbent Tony Khambata and incumbent Justin Olsen. Council member Monique Garza, who last year was chosen to fill the seat vacated by council member Steve Dennis, is running unopposed in a special election for council.
Dellwood
Mayor Mike McGill, who has been mayor since 2018, is running unopposed. Five candidates are running for the two open seats on the council: Mila Cooper, Rylan Juran, Catherine Nicholson, Melissa Peltier and Karen Quaday. Council members Deb Christopherson and Scott St. Martin both decided not to seek re-election.
Denmark Township
In the race for Town Supervisor Seat 1, Peter J. Flock is running unopposed; incumbent Dawn Johnson opted not to run for re-election. Town Board Chairman John Strohfus is running unopposed for Seat 3. Town Board Supervisor Hassan Sahouani is running unopposed for Seat 4.
Forest Lake
Mayor Mara Bain is not running for re-election, and her seat has several contenders. There are also a handful of candidates for two city council openings.
Council members Sam Husnik and Blake Roberts are vying for the mayor’s seat, along with Bruce Anderson and Jason T. Mayhew. City council candidates for the two open seats on the council include incumbent Hanna Valento and Jeff Larson, Jesse Wade Wagner and Susan Young.
Husnik’s seat on the council is open because he decided to run for mayor. If Roberts, whose four-year term on council expires in 2026, is elected, the council will appoint a council member to fill the remainder of the term.
Grant
Mayor Jeff Huber is not running for re-election; council members Tom Carr and Jeff Giefer are vying for the seat. Three candidates are running for the two open council positions: incumbent Ben Cornett and Lindsay Cremona and Tina Lobin.
Grey Cloud Island Township
Township Supervisor Dick Polta and Jake Jones are running unopposed for the two open supervisor seats; Supervisor Dan Ohmann has decided not to run for re-election. Township treasurer Keshia Jones is running unopposed.
Hugo
Mayor Tom Weidt and council member Mike Miron are both running unopposed. Two people have filed for the Ward 2 council seat: incumbent Phil Klein and Benjamin Krull.
Lake Elmo
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It will be a quiet fall in Lake Elmo, where none of the four candidates running face any challengers. Mayor Charles Cadenhead is running unopposed, and council members Nick Dragisich and Jeff Holtz are running unopposed for the two open council seats. In the special election for the open council seat that was left vacant when council member Lisa McGinn resigned, Nick Kragness is running unopposed. Council Member Katrina Beckstrom decided not to run for re-election.
Lakeland
Bob Craggs, who was named acting mayor after Mayor Joe Paiement resigned in June, is running unopposed for mayor. Four candidates have filed for the two open city council seats: James Riley, Erika Rivers, Taylor Vaillancourt and Geri Wagner. Council member Doug Sand decided not to run for re-election; the other seat was previously held by Craggs. Council member Mike Thron, who announced in June that he was resigning in July, has not yet done so, said Michelle Elsner, city clerk.
Lakeland Shores
Mayor John Bischoff is running for re-election, and he does not face any competition. Council members Tim Schroeder, Thomas Wilson and Erin Zanmiller are running unopposed for the two open seats on the council. Chuck Erickson is running unopposed in a special election; the seat was left open earlier this year when council member Ann Jacobson resigned when she moved out of the city.
Lake St. Croix Beach
Mayor Tom McCarthy is facing a challenge this fall from council member Cindie Reiter. Four candidates have filed for the two open seats on the council: Samantha Arnal, Dawn Bulera, Warren Burger and Bradley Freppert. Council member JP Armstrong is not running for re-election.
Landfall
Council member Donald Gonser is challenging Mayor Stan Suedkamp for the city’s top elected position. Incumbent Katie McManus and Dorothy Patterson are running for the two open seats on the council.
Marine On St. Croix
Mayor Kevin Nyenhuis is not facing any competition this fall. Incumbent council member Wendy Ward is running for one of two open seats, alongside John Goodfellow, Christopher Mowery and Paul Paladie; Mowery previously served on the council from 2011-2018. Council member Lon Pardun decided not to run for re-election.
Newport
Mayor Laurie Elliot is running unopposed. Newport voters will pick two city council members from among four candidates. The candidates include incumbent Marvin Taylor and Paul Hansen, Josh Schmidt and Brian Xiong. Council member Kevin Chapdelaine decided not to run for re-election.
Oak Park Heights
Former Mayor David Beaudet, who held the city’s top elected position from 2000 to 2012, is challenging Mayor Mary McComber, who has held the position since 2012.
Council members Chuck Dougherty and Mike Runk are running for re-election; Blake Van Denburgh, chairman of the city’s planning commission, also is running.
Oakdale
Six people are vying for two spots on the city council; city council members Noah Her and Jake Ingebrigtson are not running. The candidates include former Oakdale Mayor and former Washington County Commissioner Bill Pulkrabek along with Kari Moore, Raffi Paulino, Juan Santos Esquivel, Gary Severson and Christopher Thewis.
Pulkrabek was elected to the county board in 1998 and served until 2012; he served as mayor from 1995 to 1998. It will be Pulkrabek’s first run at public office since agreeing to an Alford plea in a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in connection with an incident involving his then-girlfriend on Memorial Day 2011. Pulkrabek considered running for county commission in 2016 but ultimately chose not to.
Pine Springs
Mayor Randilynn Christensen is running unopposed, as is city council member Conrad Adams. Julie Lapos-Kuchar is running for the other open seat on the council; council member Brandon Dahl opted not to run for re-election.
St. Mary’s Point
Mayor Jay Roettger is running for re-election; he faces no challengers. City council member Joseph Freesmeier and Tom Grahek are running for the two open seats on the council; council member Beth Olfelt Nelson is not running for re-election.
Scandia
Christine Maefsky has decided that after eight years as mayor, she will not seek re-election. Council member Steve Kronmiller is running for mayor, as is former Scandia City Council member Patti Ray.
Five people are running for the two open seats on the council: Zachary Gee, James “Jim” Gribble, Lori Lavin, Kirsten Libby and Adam Schauls; council member Heather Benson is not running for re-election.
Stillwater
Two women are running for the Stillwater City Council Ward 2 seat: Lindsay Belland and Sirid Kellermann; longtime council member Dave Junker has decided not to run for re-election.
In the battle for the Ward 3 seat, incumbent Larry Odebrecht is facing a challenge from Ed Nelsen.
Stillwater Township
Three people have filed to run for the Town Supervisor Seat 3: Anna Buehler, Tina Riehle and Jack Soukup; town board supervisor Robert Geisen is not running for re-election.
Board chairwoman Sheila-Marie Untiedt is running again for Seat 4; she is being challenged by Mike McMahon Jr.
In the race for Seat 5, supervisor Tim Sinclair is running unopposed.
Willernie
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After serving for more than 24 years as mayor, Barbara Parent has decided not to run for re-election. Council member Diane Baglio is running unopposed for the seat.
Five candidates have filed to run for the two open seats on the council. They include incumbent council member Andrew De Jong, Kristine Cook, Dean Flaherty, Patrick Miller and Donald Regan.
Woodbury
The slate of candidates in Woodbury is jammed — with eight candidates vying for the two open seats on the council.
Running for the two council positions are: Murid Amini, Timothy Brewington, Michael Burke, Dave Hoelzel, Temmy Olasimbo, Benjamin Sherrard, Donna Stafford and incumbent Kim Wilson. Council member Andrea Date decided not to run for re-election.
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