Tuesday, November 6

Local Polling Places and Times

Paynesville School District
Four candidates are running for three spots on the Paynesville Area School Board on Tuesday, Nov. 6. They are: Kella Bugbee, incumbent Dave Currens, Bruce Vanderpool, and Cheryl Veldkamp. The top three vote-getters will serve four-year terms on the board. Incumbents Bob Bowden and Gretchen O'Fallon did not file for re-election.

Kella Bugbee   |   Dave Currens    |   Bruce Vanderpool   |   Cheryl Veldkamp

Paynesville School District - School Levy
Paynesville School District's $415 per pupil levy is expiring after 10 years in effect, and the district is asking voters to replace it with a new $723 per pupil levy, which would also run for 10 years. If approved, the levy would increase taxes just under $100 for every $150,000 in property value. (Only ag homesteads - house, garage, and one acre - are subject to the tax; seasonal properties are exempt.) Go to the district's website - www.paynesvilleschools.com - to compute the exact tax impact for your property.

Without the new levy, school officials predict that the district will need to cut $600,000 from its operating budget.
Vote: Yes or No.

Paynesville City Council
Six candidates are running for two spots on the Paynesville City Council on Tuesday, Nov. 6. They are: incumbent Jeff Bertram, Len Gilmore, Neil Herzberg, Elliott LaBeau, Donovan Mayer, and Kay McDaniel. The top two vote-getters will serve four-year terms on the council. Incumbent Dennis Zimmerman is running for mayor this year.

Jeff Bertram    |    Len Gilmore|   Neil Herzberg   

Elliot LaBeau   |   Donavan Mayer     |   Kay McDaniel

Paynesville City Mayor
Two candidates are running for mayor of the City of Paynesville on Tuesday, Nov. 6. They are: incumbent Jeff Thompson and city council member Dennis Zimmerman. The winnner will serve a two-year term as mayor.

Jeff Thompson    |   Dennis Zimmerman

Area Cities and Townships
There are NO contested elections in area cities this November. Up for election are two four-year terms on the council and a two-year term as mayor (except in Lake Henry, where the mayor serves four years and is not up for re-election).
*Denotes incumbents

LAKE HENRY: Council: Dale Olmscheid* and Scott Weidner*

REGAL: Mayor: Jack Kotten*   |   Council: Jim Halvorson* and Beth Sturtz*

ROSCOE: Mayor: Don Heinen*   |   Council: Janet Ehrickman and Martha Schmitz*

ST. MARTIN: Mayor: James Rothstein*   |   Council: Randy Olmschied* and Steve Revermann*

PAYNESVILLE TOWNSHIP: Paynesville Township has moved its elections to coincide with the general elections in November. This year, incumbent supervisor Pat Meagher and incumbent clerk Don Wiese are up for election.
Supervisor: Pat Meagher*; and Clerk: Don Wiese*

Paynesville Area Hospital Board
Five hospital board seats are uncontested this fall: newcomer Andrea Berger in the City of Eden Valley (incumbent Christy Swafford did not re-file for election); Jerry "Matt" Quade in the City of Paynesville (incumbent Lois Roback did not re-file); incumbent Bob Brauchler in the City of Regal; newcomer Mason Schirmer in the City of St. Martin (incumbent Diane Rothstein did not re-file); and incumbent Ross Amundson in Eden Lake Township. Winners will serve four-year terms.

CITY OF EDEN VALLEY: Andrea Berger   |   CITY OF PAYNESVILLE: Jerry "Matt" Quade

CITY OF REGAL: Bob Brauchler   |   CITY OF ST. MARTIN: Mason Schirmer

EDEN LAKE TOWNSHIP: Ross Amundson

Two candidates are running to be the at-large representative to the Paynesville Area Hospital District ­ which includes seven cities (Eden Valley, Lake Henry, Paynesville, Regal Richmond, Roscoe, and St. Martin) and five townships (Eden Lake, Paynesville, Roseville, Union Grove, and Zion). Incumbent Joe Stephanie is being challenged by Brent Olson. They both live in Union Grove Township.

Brent Olson   |   Joe Stephanie*

County Commissioners
There are three contested county commissioners races in the Paynesville area this November. In Stearns County, in District 3 (including Eden Lake and Munson townships) incumbent Jeff Mergen of Richmond is being challenged by Chad Middendorf of Cold Spring. In Kandiyohi County, In District 4, Roger Imdieke of New London and Alan Welle of Willmar are vying to fill the seat being vacated by Dennis Peterson, who did not run for re-election. In Meejker County, in District 5, Mike Huberty of Eden Valley and Marlys Houk of Paynesville (as a write-in candidate) are vying to fill the seat of Roney Kutzke, who did not file for re-eletion. (Ben Smith will appear on the ballot but has withdrawn because he has moved out of District 5.)

KANDIYOHI DISTRICT 4: Roger Imdieke   |   Alan Welle

MEEKER COUNTY DISTICT 5: Marlys Houk   |   Mike Huberty

STEARNS COUNTY DISTICT 3: Jeff Mergen   |   Chad Middendorf

Minnesota Legislators
SENATE DISTRICT 12: John Schultz (DFL-Correll)   |   Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake)

HOUSE DISTRICT 12B: Rep. Paul Anderson* (R-Starbuck)   |   Rick Rosenfield (DFL-Alexandria)

SENATE DISTRICT 13: Sen. Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville)   |   Peggy Boeck (DFL-Paynesville)

HOUSE DISTRICT 13A: Richard Bohannon (R-Starbuck)   |   Jeff Howe (R-Rockville)

SENATE DISTRICT 17: Joe Gimse* (R-Willmar)   |   Lyle Koenen (DFL-Clara City)

HOUSE DISTRICT 17B: Zach Liebl (I-Atwater)   |   Mary Sawatzky (DFL-Willmar) vs. Bruce Vogel* (R-Willmar)

SENATE DISTRICT 18: Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson)   |    Steve Chiro (DFL-Cokato)

HOUSE DISTRICT 18A: Nancy Larson (DFL-Dassel)   |   Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City)

U.S. Senate
Incumbent Amy Klobuchar (DFL-Minneapolis) is being challenged in the U.S. Senate race by Kurt Bills (R-Rosemount) and Stephen Williams (Indepdencence Party).

Kurt Bills    |    Amy Klobuchar* |    Stephen Williams   

Congressional Districts
Incumbent Michele Bachmann (R-Stillwater) is being challenged in the Sixth District by Jim Graves (DFL-St. Cloud) while incumbent Collin Peterson (DFL-Detroit Lakes) is being challenged in the Seventh District by Lee Byberg (R-Willmar) and Adam Steele (Independent Party-Bemidji).

SIXTH DISTRICT: Jim Graves    |   Michele Bachmann*|

SEVENTH DISTRICT: Adam Steele    |   Lee Byberg    |   Collin Peterson*

Judicial
Visit the Minnesota Newspaper Association site for information on the Supreme Court and District Court candidates.

Other things on your ballot.