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The 2024 general election is on Tuesday, November 5 and includes city races for West St. Paul, county soil and water supervisor, Minnesota House races, U.S. House and Senate, and U.S. president. Here’s your voter’s guide for West St. Paul.
- Printable Voter’s Guide: Grab our printable voter’s guide, which is a quick summary of local races in a handy chart. Handy for printing and taking to the voter’s booth.
West St. Paul
It starts with local, non-partisan positions in West St. Paul, which include the mayor and one Council seat in each of the three wards. The mayor serves a two-year term and City Council members serve a four-year term. Use this city map to find out which ward you live in.
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Mayor
- Dave Napier (incumbent)
City Council Ward 1
- Doug Fromm – campaign site
- Andrew Rydlund
City Council Ward 2
- Robyn Gulley (incumbent) – campaign site
City Council Ward 3
- Lisa Eng-Sarne (incumbent) – campaign site
- Anthony Smith
Candidate Q&As
- Top issues: What are your two to three top priorities for West St. Paul over the next few years? How will you address those issues?
- Budget: The preliminary budget numbers include a potential 7.4% increase in the property tax levy—equating to about $129 for the average home (and those early numbers will likely shift). Do you support this increase—why or why not? If you don’t support it, what should be cut? If you do support it, what additions to the budget are worth the extra expense?
- Housing: Amid a nationwide housing shortage, how will you manage housing growth in West St. Paul? What types of housing do you support? How should the city use subsidies to incentivize growth?
- Community center: A potential community center has been an ongoing discussion, with a recent survey showing some support for a sizable tax increase to pay for it. Do you support a community center? How do we pay for it?
- Unique: What sets you apart from the other candidates? What do you bring to the table that no one else can?
- Better: How will you make West St. Paul better? What are your biggest, grandest, greatest ideas? What specific strategies or policies can you put in place to create positive change?
Candidate Forums
- Town Square TV (5 of 6 candidates participated)
- Candidates and Cookies With the Optimist Club (3 of 6 candidates attended, 1 more sent a representative)
Other Sources
- East Metro Voter Guide (3 of 6 candidates participated)
- League of Women Voter Guide: Ward 1 (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- League of Women Voter Guide: Ward 3 (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- MPR Candidate Q&A (3 of 6 candidates participated)
- Pioneer Press Q&A (2 of 6 candidates participated)
- St. Paul Voice Voter’s Guide (2 of 6 candidates participated)
Dakota County Races
Other Dakota County commissioner seats are up this year, but the only county-level race for West St. Paul is soil and water conservation district supervisor.
Soil & Water Supervisor District 2
- Kendra Sommerfeld – campaign site
- Laura Zanmiller (incumbent) – campaign site
Candidate Q&As
- Top issues: What are your two to three top priorities over the next few years? How will you address those issues?
- Unknown role: This is a virtually unknown position on the ballot. How do you see this role and why do you think it’s important?
- Environmental issues: What environmental issues are impacting West St. Paul? What new ideas do you have that can make a difference in the face of climate change?
- Unique: What sets you apart from the other candidates? What do you bring to the table that no one else can?
- Impact: The recommendations of the soil and water board are ultimately voluntary, so how will you work to ensure they still have an impact?
- Local: What can West St. Paul residents do to improve the environment and fight climate change in their own backyards and neighborhoods?
Other Sources
- Ballotpedia (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- MPR Candidate Q&A (2 of 2 candidates participated)
This local election coverage happens thanks to the support of our members. Join them now during our member drive and help inform your community.
State Legislative Races
West St. Paul is represented in two different state house districts. The districts divide West St. Paul in half, roughly at Emerson. The northern half is in 65B and the southern half is in 53A.
House District 53A
- Mary Frances Clardy (incumbent) – DFL – campaign site
- Nathan Herschbach – GOP – campaign site
House District 65B
- Mike Hilborn – GOP – campaign site
- María Isa Pérez-Vega (incumbent) – DFL – campaign site
Candidate Q&As
- Top issues: What are your two to three top priorities as a state representative and how will you address those issues?
- Gambling: A sports betting bill has failed to pass the last two years. Where do you stand on allowing sports betting in Minnesota?
- Education: The 2023 legislative session brought historic funding for education, filling a number of gaps and offering free meals but also creating new mandates. What do you think the state should do to support education going forward?
- Economy: What will you do as a legislator to help with rising costs and concerns about the economy?
- West St. Paul: What are your specific priorities for West St. Paul in the next legislative session?
- Unique: What sets you apart from other candidates? What do you bring to the table that no one else can?
Candidate Forums
- 53A: Town Square TV (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- 65B: Town Square TV (1 of 2 candidates participated)
Other Sources
- 53A: League of Women Voters Guide (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- 53A: MPR Candidate Q&A (1 of 2 candidates particpated)
- 65B: East Metro Voter Guide (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- 65B: League of Women Voters Guide (1 of 2 candidates participated)
- Ballotpedia: Hilborn, Clardy
Federal Races
U.S. House and Senate and the U.S. president will also be on the ballot.
U.S. House – 2nd Congressional District:
- Thomas William Bowman – Constitutional Conservative – (suspended campaign, but will still appear on the ballot)
- Angie Craig (incumbent) – DFL – campaign site
- Joe Teirab – GOP – campaign site
Other Sources:
- Chamber of Commerce Debate
- League of Women Voters Guide
- Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life
- MPR Candidate Q&A
- MPR Candidate Debate
U.S. Senate:
- Amy Klobuchar (incumbent) – DFL – campaign site
- Joyce Lacey – Independence-Alliance – campaign site
- Royce White – GOP – campaign site
- Rebecca Whiting – Libertarian – campaign site
Other Sources:
- League of Women Voters Guide (2 of 4 candidates participated)
- MPR Candidate Q&A (3 of 4 candidates participated)
U.S. President:
- Kamala Harris and Tim Walz (DFL) – campaign site
- Donald Trump and J.D. Vance (GOP) – campaign site
- (plus half a dozen other minor party candidates)
Judicial Races
A number of judicial races will be on the ballot, including three Minnesota Supreme Court seats. Here are the contested races for West St. Paul:
Minnesota Supreme Court (Chief Justice)
- Stephen Emery – campaign site
- Natalie Hudson (incumbent) – campaign site
Minnesota Supreme Court (Associate Justice 6)
- Matthew R. Hanson – campaign site
- Karl Procaccini (incumbent) – campaign site
Other sources:
- MPR Candidate Q&A (2 of 2 candidates participated)
Minnesota Court of Appeals (Seat 12)
- Diane Bratvold (incumbent) – campaign site
- Jonathan R. Woolsey
Other sources:
- MPR Candidate Q&A (1 of 2 candidates participated)
Constitutional Amendment
There is also an amendment to Minnesota’s constitution on the ballot:
- Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Renewal
- Ballot language
- MPR summary
Thanks for Participating in Our Democracy
No matter who you’re supporting, be sure to get out there and vote. Get more information on voting, including how to register, from the City of West St. Paul.
If you think our civics could be a little more civil, you’re not alone. Learn more about a book, Better Politics, Please, inspired by politics in West St. Paul and written by two West St. Paul residents.
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