The “Meet the Candidates” series continues with the five candidates in the race for the Beltrami County District 2 race.
This district, recently redrawn, includes three City of Bemidji wards; Wards 1, 4 and 5.
The five candidates will be on District 2 primary ballots on Tuesday, Aug. 9.
The candidates are listed in the order they were interviewed.
ADAM BOMMERSBACH
Adam Bommersbach says he has been intrigued with local government for a long time and has prior experience campaigning on behalf of others, including his father in Norman County.
Bommersbach says one of his primary focuses is economic development and making Beltrami County a great place for anyone to raise a family.
JAMES RAVNIKAR
James Ravnikar is a current member of the Bemidji Charter Commission and works in finance at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig school.
He believes his experience brings a lot of skills for level-headed discussion on issues facing the county.
DON HEINONEN
Don Heinonen is also a member of the Bemidji Charter Commission and longtime Bemidji resident.
While this is his first race for Beltrami County, Heinonen has launched several campaigns for City of Bemidji council positions, including Ward 5 and at-large.
Heinonen believes public safety is one of the top concerns facing Beltrami County.
JOE GOULD
Joe Gould has long familial ties to the region and is originally from the Itasca County/Grand Rapids area.
Gould has many years of state and local government experience and is currently a licensed teacher.
Children’s mental health is among his top focuses and wants to improve partnerships with neighboring tribal nations.
DARREN TOBEY
Darren Tobey, first and foremost, says he is not a politician and wants to be a voice of the people.
Tobey is a business owner from the Nymore area and if elected, he wants to support law enforcement and business while eliminating what he views as excessive spending.
