Two candidates filed for the Beltrami County Board of Commissioners District 5 race.
Due to redistricting, all commissioner seats are up for election this year.
The current incumbent, Jim Lucachick, no longer lives in District 5 after the redistricting process (see more about his lawsuit here).
Early voting begins Sept. 23, and Election Day is Nov. 8. Find out how to register at mnvotes.gov.
The candidates are listed in the order they were interviewed.
JOHN CARLSON
John Carlson represented this region of Minnesota in the state legislature as a Republican senator from 2011 to 2013.
Carlson is currently retired and has a background in finance, which he says he can put to use on behalf of the citizens of Beltrami County.
Carlson says he would be able to effectively lobby on behalf of the county in the state legislature, with a focus on balancing the budget and supporting infrastructure.
SANDY HENNUM
Sandy Hennum has been the executive director for Village of Hope, a homeless shelter focused on serving families, for the past 12 years with plans to retire at the end of this year.
Hennum’s life has been focused on community service, and this is her first political campaign.
Hennum, the only woman who filed for a seat on the Beltrami County Board, says the foundation of a community is based on housing, child care and adequate mental health services, and would like to do her part to bring more resources to Greater Minnesota.
