Jun. 8—GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks residents will vote on June 11 for their representatives to local public bodies to make decisions on property taxes, civic services and construction projects as well as choose the candidates who will move on to the November general election.

The June 11 election is a combination of local municipal races and the state and county primary. Local municipal offices up for election are Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 on the Grand Forks City Council, Grand Forks mayor, four seats on the Grand Forks School Board and two seats on the Grand Forks Park Board.

A nonpartisan primary will occur for two seats on the Grand Forks County Commission, with the top four candidates moving on to November’s election.

In a partisan primary, District 42 will have a Republican primary for the two House seats and the Senate seat. Voters can only vote in either the Republican or Democratic-NPL primary but all ballots will have nonpartisan races.

There are four vote centers in Grand Forks. On election day those locations are the Alerus Center (1200 S. 42nd St.), ICON Arena/Park District office (1060 47th Ave. S.), Home of Economy (1508 N. Washington St.) and Hope Church (1601 17th Ave. S.). Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

More information about elections and sample ballots can be found on the North Dakota Secretary of State’s website: vote.nd.gov.

To vote, Grand Forks voters can go to any voting location with identification, such as a drivers license to tribal ID. If the identification doesn’t have the current address, supplemental information like a utility bill or paystub can be used. Additionally, a ballot can be side aside and within 13 days a voter must provide updated identification information to the county auditor before the canvassing board meets.

This year, residents in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 will vote for their representation on the Grand Forks City Council. Council members in Wards 2, 4, and 6 are not up for election this year; their next election will be in 2026.

In Ward 1, incumbent

Council member Danny Weigel

is seeking a third term and is running unopposed. Weigel was first elected to the council in 2016. He’s a UND police officer and also represents the city on the 911 Authority Board, Emergency Management Board and Growth Fund Committee. Additionally, he often presides over the council’s Committee of the Whole meetings when the council president and council vice president aren’t available.

The Ward 3 seat is open as incumbent and Council Vice President

Bret Weber is not running

for a fourth term after 12 years in the seat. There are two candidates running to replace Weber:

*

Tricia Berg,

a licensed master social worker at the Grand Forks County Human Service Zone who has served at a variety of local nonprofit organizations.

*

Marie Stewart,

a mother and lifelong Grand Forks resident. Stewart is a graduate of Northland Community and Technical College’s licensed practical nursing program

The Ward 5 council seat is also open as incumbent

Kyle Kvamme

is not running for a second term and instead running for County Commission. There are two candidates running to replace Kvamme:

*

Jodi Carlson,

a registered nurse with experience in nursing and budget management. In the past, Carlson has been critical of the City Council, mayor and city staff.

*

Mike Fridolfs,

site director for Northrop Grumman’s Grand Sky location. He serves on the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee and Grand Forks Regional Economic Development Corporation’s Advisory Board.

In Ward 7, incumbent

council member Ken Vein

is seeking a fourth term and is running unopposed. Vein has served on the council since 2012 and serves as a representative to the Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization. Vein also is director of design and construction at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Libary in Medora, North Dakota.

All voters in Grand Forks can vote for mayor.

Incumbent Mayor Brandon Bochenski

is running unopposed for a second term. As chief executive of the city,

Bochenski leads city project intiatives,

presides over the council’s regular meetings and has veto power over the council. He said his next term will focus on major projects like the Epitome Energy soybean crush plant, the 42nd Street underpass and the future of Columbia Mall.

Bochenski was first elected in 2020 and oversaw the city’s pandemic response and is currently leading an initiative to improve air service at the Grand Forks International Airport.

Additional City Council election stories can be found on the Herald’s website, including:

*

May 21: Grand Forks City Council candidates tout their personal, professional experiences

*

May 21: Grand Forks City Council candidates say more needs to be done for childcare issues and mental health support

*

May 15: Council candidates discuss their beliefs on a proposed bridge between Grand Forks, East Grand Forks

*

May 27: What is the top concern for Grand Forks? Council candidates’ answers vary

*

May 11: Taxes, services, a strategic plan and Columbia Mall: Grand Forks City Council hopefuls outline priorities

Four seats are up for election on the Grand Forks School Board. There are three incumbents seeking reelection and one open seat that’s currently held by Cynthia Shabb, who’s not seeking reelection. There are six candidates running for the four at-large seats The Grand Forks Education Association has endorsed all the incumbent candidates.

* Amber Flynn, incumbent and GFEA endorsed. Flynn is a realtor.

* Jeff Manley, incumbent and GFEA endorsed. Manley works at Altru Health System.

* Eric Lunn, incumbent and GFEA endorsed. Lunn is a pediatrician for Spectra Health.

* Jay Kleven, a senior project manager at AE2S. He’s been endorsed by the GFEA.

* Cameron Murphy, a Grand Forks businessman and 2022 School Board candidate.

* Roland Riemers, a recurring candidate for local and state offices. Riemers is also running in the Democratic primary for North Dakota’s U.S. House seat.

The candidates have had two forums, one hosted by

GFEA in April

and another hosted by the

Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce in May.

Additional School Board election stories can be found on the Herald’s website, including:

*

May 21: Grand Forks School Board candidates offer their differentiating qualities

*

May 21: Grand Forks School Board candidates offer broad perspectives on school challenges

*

May 20: Two Grand Forks School Board incumbents give high marks to staff-leadership relations; newcomer rates it low

There are two seats on the Grand Forks Park Board up for election. Incumbents Cody Bartholomew and

Russell Kraft

are seeking second terms and there are no other candidates filed for the office. The board, which oversees the Park District, makes decisions and levies taxes for Grand Forks’ parks, berm trees and several arenas.

Both candidates have said they’re excited

for the next four years and look forward to serving another term.

There are two seats up for election in November on the Grand Forks County Commission. On June 11, voters will choose the four candidates that will progress to the November general election. The county commission seats are at large. There are six candidates running in the primary.

*

David Engen,

incumbent and current chairman of the County Commission. Engen lives in Northwood.

* Cynthia Pic, incumbent and transportation programs director at the nonprofit Tri-Valley Opportunity Council. Pic lives in Niagara.

*

Ron Barta,

a candidate for Grand Forks School Board in 2022 and served in the military. Barta lives in Grand Forks.

*

Terry Bjerke

, a Manvel resident and former Grand Forks City Council member.

* Ryan Graf, a senior consultant with AE2S and lives in Rye Township.

*

Kyle Kvamme,

current Grand Forks City Council member and director of community engagement at ICON Architectural Group.

Additional County Commission election stories can be found on the Herald’s website, including:

*

June 4: Grand Forks County Commission candidates say finances, infrastructure are top concerns.

*

June 8: Grand Forks County Commission candidates: Board experience, government work stand out

.

North Dakotans in even-numbered legislative districts, and districts 9 and 15 due to redistricting, will vote for their representation in the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. In Grand Forks, that means voters in Districts 18 and 42, the northern parts of the city, will be voting for their representation.

On June 11, voters will be able to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary and vote for the candidates who will receive the party nominations. One Senate candidate from each party and two representative candidates from each party will progress to the November general election.

In District 18, candidates include:

*

Scott Meyer,

a Republican running for state Senate. Meyer was first elected to the Senate seat in 2016. Meyer has received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Kyle Thorson,

a Democrat running for state Senate. Thorson ran for the seat in 2020 and owns the Archives Coffee House on UND’s campus. Thorson has received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Mary Adams,

a Democrat running for state representative. Adams served as a representative in District 43 from 2018 to 2022. Adams has received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Scott Nelson,

a Democrat running for state representative. Nelson is a retired Teamster and lifelong Grand Forks resident and an active member of a number of nonprofits.

* Nels Christianson, a Republican running for state representative who has received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Steve Vetter,

a Republican running for state representative. Vetter was first elected to his representative seat in 2016 and has received the party endorsement for the seat.

Because there are two candidates from each party for the House seats and one candidate from each party for the Senate seat, none of the District 18 candidates on the ballot will be eliminated during Tuesday’s primary.

However, in District 42, voters will trim the field of Republican candidates, choosing one GOP Senate candidate and two GOP House candidates.

The Republican candidates include:

*

Claire Cory,

a Republican running for state Senate. Cory is currently a representative in the North Dakota House and works at 322 Hospitality as an event coordinator.

*

Dustin McNally,

a Republican running for state Senate. McNally is a UND faculty member in the College of Engineering and Mines and an Eagle Scout. McNally received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Sadie Hanson,

a Republican running for state representative. Hanson is a student representative on the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education and received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Emily O’Brien,

a Republican running for state representative. O’Brien was first elected as to the representative seat in 2016. She is chief operation officer at the Bioscience Association of North Dakota. O’Brien received the party endorsement for the seat.

* Doug Osowski, a Republican running for state representative. Osowski is originally from Grand Forks and worked as a senior system administrator for the North Dakota University System.

There are Democrats on the District 42 ballot, but all three will advance to the November election. They include:

*

Rod Gigstad,

a Democrat running for state Senate. Gigstad is longtime veterinarian and a member of Sharon Lutheran Church. He’s received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Sarah Grossbauer,

a Democrat running for state representative. Grossbauer is an organizer for North Dakota United and received the party endorsement for the seat.

*

Carol Hagen,

a Democrat running for state representative. Hagen is a veteran and former business owner and received the party endorsement for the seat.

Additional District 42 Republican primary election stories can be found on the Herald’s website, including:

*

May 31: McNally, Cory make their case for District 42 Senate seat

*

May 31: Property tax concerns top of mind for two Grand Forks Republicans running for District 42 House seats

During the primary, voters will also be able to choose which candidates proceed in statewide races including governor and U.S. House of Representatives.