Faribault Mayor Running Unopposed, Northfield Faces Challenger

The filings for some public offices concluded today with Faribault Mayor Kevin Voracek the only person to file for that office. Five individuals filed for three seats on the Faribault City Council including two incumbents.

Elizabeth Cap did not file for re-election but Council Member Jonathan Wood and Council Member Royal Ross did announce their intentions to retain their seats on the council.

City Council candidates include

Faysel Ahmed Ali 1603 Deerwood Lane
Sara Caron 935 2nd Street SW
Adam Gibbons 2302 Cornell Drive
John Rowan 10 Prarie Avenue SW
Johnathan Wood 1806 Birchwood Ct
Royal Ross 605 NW 3rd St.

In Northfield incumbent Mayor Rhonda Pownell is being challenged by Jon Denison.

There are three seats up for election on the Northfield City Council. Eight candidates filed including two for re-election.

Current Ward 3 Council Member Erica Zweifel did not file according to the Minnesota Secretary of State website.

At Large Council seat:

Ricky Livingston 815 2nd St. E.
Brad Ness incumbent 743 Lincoln Street N.

Ward 2 candidates:

David Bergland 120 Arbor St.
David Delong incumbent 1000 S. Spring Street
Janet Reister 401 Afton Drive

Ward 3 candidates:

Richard Schulte 1742 Patriot Rd.
Don Stager 302 Manitou St.
George Zuccolotto 53 Viking Terrace

There are three seats up for election on the Rice County Board of Commissioners and all the incumbents filed. Only District 2 Comissioner Galen Malecha of Northfield is running unopposed barring a write-in campaign.

Rice County Commissioner District 1 candidates are:

Incumbent Jake Gillen 24062 Cabot Avenue Faribault
Joe (Joseph) Adamek 1566 250th Crt. E. Faribault
Bill McDonald 19975 Falk Avenue Faribault
Jim Purfeerst 7625 240th Street E. Faribault

Rice County Commissioner District 5 candidates:

Incumbent Jeff Docken 6320 Chester Ave. Northfield
Kim Halverson 5417 Elkton Tr. Faribault
Kurt Wolf 404 3rd St. SE Morristown

Both Faribautl state lawmakers will face challenges to retain their offices. District 25 State Senator John Jasinski of is the GOP incumbent. Roger Steinkamp of Faribault the DFL challenger.

District 24B State Representative Brian Daniels is the GOP incumbent. He is being challenged by DFL candidate Ashley Martinez-Perez also of Faribault.

A number of cities have filings for local offices scheduled for later this summer. Some of those are Kenyon, Goodhue, Blooming Prairie, Elysian, Zumbrota, Henderson, Janesville, Hampton, Farmington, Ellendale, Elko-New Market, Dundas, Hartland, Dennison.

This is a Presidential election year so traditionally voter turnouts have been larger those years in Minnesota.