April 4 Dunn County spring election round-up

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX — Two candidates have filed nomination papers and two candidates have registered as write-in candidates for four positions on the Colfax Village Board in the April 4 election.

One of those candidates has filed for two positions.

The positions held by incumbents Jody Albricht (village president), Jeff Prince (trustee), Margaret Burcham (trustee) and Jen Rud (trustee) are up for election.

Prince and Burcham filed nomination papers for the trustee positions by the deadline in January.

Prince also filed nominations papers for the village president position.

Albricht, the incumbent village president, filed a declaration of non-candidacy by the deadline in December. 

Village trustee Carey Davis, whose position as a trustee is not up for election this year, has filed with the village clerk’s office as a registered write-in candidate for the village president position.

Rud did not file either a declaration of non-candidacy or nomination papers but has since registered as a write-in candidate.

According to state law, in order for votes to count for write-in candidates, the candidates must register with the village clerk by the deadline, which is March 31, the Friday before the April 4 election.

If there are positions on the village board for which there are no candidates on the ballot or no write-in candidates who have filed a declaration of intent to run as a write-in candidate, the village board has the option of soliciting letters of interest for the open positions and can then appoint someone to any open positions not filled by the election.

The village board also has the option of leaving any positions open until the next election for those positions.

Village trustees serve two-year terms.

Albricht has served one term as village president.

In addition to Albricht, Burcham, Prince and Rud, Village Trustees Carey Davis, Anne Jenson and Gary Stene serve on the Colfax Village Board. 

Colfax school board

Four candidates have filed nomination papers for three positions on the Colfax Board of Education in the April 4 election.

Incumbent school board members Kenneth Bjork, Jodi Kiekhafer and Jaclyn Ackerlund all filed nomination papers by the deadline at 5 p.m. Tuesday, January 3.

Colfax school district resident Denise Solberg also filed nomination papers by the deadline and will be on the ballot April 4 for one of the three positions.

The term of office for a school board member is three years.

Todd Kragness (president), Ken Neuburg (vice president) and Kyle Knutson (treasurer) also serve on the Colfax Board of Education.

EM village board

Three candidates have filed nomination papers for four positions on the Elk Mound Village Board in the April 4 election, and one of the candidates has filed nomination papers for two positions.

The positions held by Greg Kipp (village president), Bob Bachman (village trustee), Jesse Jenson (village trustee) and Terry Stamm (village trustee) are up for election.

Kipp filed a notification of non-candidacy for the village president position by the deadline in December.

Jenson also filed a notification of non-candidacy for a village trustee position by the deadline.

Stamm filed nomination papers for both the village president position and the village trustee position by the January deadline.

Incumbent Robert Bachman filed nomination papers for a village trustee position as well.

In addition, Patricia Hahn filed nomination papers for a trustee position.

Village trustees serve two-year terms.

Hahn, who served as village clerk-treasurer for more than 40 years, retired at the end of December and had spent the previous year working with new clerk-treasurer Karin Wolf to help make the transition.

Kipp, who has served a number of two-year terms on the village board, was appointed as village president by the village board last spring following the unexpected death of Village President Steven Abraham on February 27.

Cynthia Abraham was subsequently appointed as village trustee to fill Kipp’s unexpired term.

For any village board positions open after the April 4 election, the village board has the option to solicit letters of interest to serve on the village board and can then appoint someone to fill the open position.

EM school board

Three candidates have filed nomination papers for three positions that will be up for election April 4 on the Elk Mound Board of Education, while two incumbents have filed notifications of non-candidacy.

The positions up for election currently are filled by Mark Cedarblade. Patrick Rhude and Timothy Sivertson.

Cedarblade and Rhude filed a notification of non-candidacy for the three-year term positions by the December deadline.

Sivertson, along with Kayla M. Lombard and Troy A. Koser, filed declaration of candidacy forms by the January 3 deadline.

In addition to Cedarblade and Rhude, Mark Oas serves as vice-president of the Board of Education, along with Gary Bodenburg (treasurer) and Holly Sweeney (member).

Sivertson currently serves as president of the Board of Education.

Cedarblade and Rhude have each served three three-year terms on the Elk Mound Board of Education.

Incumbent school board member Loren Hanson died January 29.

Town of Colfax

Four candidates are on the ballot April 4 for four positions in the Town of Colfax.

Incumbent town chair Dean Logslett, incumbent town board Supervisor 1 Jason Klukas, incumbent town board Supervisor 2 Gary Bjork and incumbent treasurer Kyra Pickett are on the ballot.

Town of Elk Mound

Five candidates will be on the ballot April 4 for five positions in the Town of Elk Mound.

Incumbent town chair Tony Christopherson, incumbent Supervisor 1 Jeffrey Klemp, incumbent Supervisor 2 Dennis Rhead, incumbent town clerk Carolyn Loechler and incumbent treasurer Anne Wahl will be on the ballot.

Town of Grant

Five candidates will be on the ballot for four positions on the Grant Town Board in the April 4 election.

Incumbent town chair Mark Dietsche, candidates for Supervisor 1 Timothy Lauffer and Benjamin Pattison, incumbent Supervisor 2 Brad Larson and incumbent town treasurer James G. Ackerlund will be on the ballot.

David Buchner currently serves as Supervisor 2.

Sand Creek

Six candidates are running for six positions in the Town of Sand Creek April 4.

Incumbent town chair Michael Nelson, incumbent Supervisors 2 John Loy and Joel Smith, clerk candidate Pamela Meinen, incumbent treasurer Melanie Donath and incumbent constable Jerry Lofthus are on the ballot.

Michael Nelson currently serves as the interim clerk.

Town of Spring Brook

Five candidates are on the ballot for five positions in the Town of Spring Brook.

Incumbent town chair John E. Schaefer, incumbent Supervisor 1 Michael Moose Hase, incumbent Supervisor 2 Jerry M. Hotchkiss, incumbent town clerk Mary L. Strand and incumbent treasurer Colleen Mensing are on the ballot.

Town of Tainter

Three candidates are on the ballot for three positions in the Town of Tainter.

Incumbent town chair Randy Valaske, incumbent Supervisor Jerry Mrdutt and incumbent Supervisor 5 Jeremy Kozumplik are on the ballot.

Town of Wilson

Five candidates are on the ballot in the Town of Wilson for five positions.

Incumbent town chair Raymond J. Glaser, incumbent Supervisor 1 Wayne Christopherson, candidate for Supervisor 2 Dale Lien, candidate for clerk Amy Knutson and candidate for town treasurer Kim Lewis are on the ballot.

Susan Varnes currently serves as town clerk, while Becky Steffe serves as town treasurer and Michael Steffe serves as Supervisor 2.