Featured photo: from left, Josh Peterson and Jaime Thibodeaux. Graphic courtesy of Eric Callagan.
The special election to fill the vacancy in Ward 2 will be decided during the state’s primary on Aug. 11. Two candidates filed for the seat, Visit Bemidji’s Josh Peterson and Jaime Thibodeaux, a local ecologist and hydrologist.
JOSH PETERSON
Josh Peterson is a long-time Bemidji resident, and has covered many city issues over the years as a journalist with Lakeland News. Peterson is currently the executive director of Bemidj’s tourism bureau, Visit Bemidji, and the immediate past president of the Bemidji Jaycees. Peterson hopes to help the city finish its projects, such as the South Shore and the Rail Corridor.
JAIME THIBODEAUX
This is Jaime Thibodeaux’s second campaign to represent Ward 2. She competed for the seat in 2018 with Mike Beard, who resigned earlier this year citing health concerns. Thibodeaux, originally from Louisiana, has lived in Bemidji for the past ten years and while not a politician, she says running to represent Bemidji aligns with her values of serving the public.
