Sherburne County Commissioner John Riebel is being challenged for his District 3 seat by two contenders. District 3 Matt Bischoff of Big Lake and Tim Dolan of Elk River have thrown their hats in the ring to unseat Riebel at Tuesday’s primary. The top two finishers in each of the primaries will advance to the general election Nov. 8. 

 

Riebel’s seat is one of three seats on the county board on the ballot this year.

 

District 3 includes all of Becker and Orrock Twp. as well as portions of Livonia Twp. and Elk River.

 

Riebel, 71, has been a county commissioner since 2005 and once served as a Becker Twp. Supervisor, Sherburne County Fairboard Director and on the Sherburne County Planning and Zoning Board. He owns and runs the True Value Hardware Store in Becker and is single with two children.

 

Bischoff, 49, owns and operates Jule Builders, Inc. — a construction company out of Big Lake and is married (April) with three children. He has no previous elected office experience but has participated in coaching and has been involved in multiple fundraisers benefitting cancer patients.

 

Dolan, 33, is the chief strategist for Decklan Group out of Elk River. He has a fiancé (Annie) with two children. Dolan has no experience as an elected official but has worked as a CAER volunteer, YMCA Board Member (Elk River), youth football board member (ER), youth football and baseball coach and has been involved in dozens of local charities and benefits supporting MS, education and the United Way.

 

Barbara Burandt and Barb Olsen — both of Elk River. will face off in November for the Sherburne County Board of Commissioner’s District 1 post currently held by Bruce Anderson, who is not seeking re-election.

 

In District 5, Rachel Leonard of Zimmerman decided to not seek re-election for her seat, which opens the door for several contenders.

 

Lisa Fobbe, Wendy Kowalski and Bryan Lawrence are bidding for Leonard’s seat at Tuesday’s primary and the top two finishers will advance to the general election in November.

 

Fobbe, 53, served on the Minnesota Senate from 2007-2010 and was also on the Princeton School Board from 2000-07. She is single with three sons and lives in Princeton and is a ministry coordinator/faith formation assistant at Christ Our Light Catholic Church.

 

Fobbe has been involved in civic and community activities including the Sherburne Wildlife Refuge Friend, a supporter of the Princeton Scholarship Foundation, a Minnesota School Board Association member and has participated in organizing several local and international service opportunities.

 

Kowalski, 55, served as a Zimmerman City Council Member for eight years from 2004 to 2012. She is married (Rodney) and is a licensed master barber and barbershop owner.

 

Kowalski is a church board member, a Thrivent Financial member and has served on the Fremont Lake Improvement Association as a member and as treasurer.

 

Lawrence, 46, has been a Baldwin Twp. Supervisor for 10 years and his occupation is a farmer. He is married (Marytina) and they have four children.

 

Lawrence also serves on the Baldwin Planning and Zoning Committee as well as serving with the Sherburne County Board of Adjustment and Solid Waste Management teams. He is a member of the state cattleman’s association as well as the Minnesota hereford breeders group. 

 

With the retirement of Sen. Dave Brown, two GOP contenders have thrown their hat in the ring for his seat as well as one democrat.

 

On the Republican side, Andrew Mathews is the endorsed GOP candidate and he announced his bid to run back in September of 2015. Mathews is from Milaca and is a lifelong Minnesotan who has lived in the district for nearly two decades. A homeschooled graduate, he has worked in law and government policy in multiple positions, and is about to graduate from law school at Oak Brook College of Law.

 

Dan Whitcomb of Princeton is the other GOP candidate on Tuesday’s primary ticket. Whitcomb has served previously as Mayor of Zimmerman, Princeton School Board Chair/Director and Mille Lacs County Commissioner. Whitcomb is an active community member, he substitute teaches at local schools, supports public education and school choice.

 

Chilah Brown, DFL, is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and is a resident of Isle. She works in tribal government. She is a graduate from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. 

 

Brown is the first band member to be endorsed to run for the Minnesota Legislature.

 

Congressional District 6

Tom Emmer is the District 6 incumbent and he is being challenged by three DFL-ers and two GOP-ers.

 

Emmer was sworn in for his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives  Jan. 6, 2015. In 2004, he was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives and re-elected by overwhelming majorities in 2006 and 2008. After a loss in the 2010 gubernatorial race, Emmer entered the radio business as a conservative radio host on Twin Cities News Talk AM1130, before returning to politics a few years later. 

 

A.J. Kern, a small business owner and outspoken critic of US immigration policies, announced in February she will challenge  Emmer in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District. Kern, who lived in Iran in the 1970’s, moved to Minnesota in 2003 and took up residence in Sauk Rapids. She graduated from Montana State University and also has a master's degree from the University of Wyoming.  Kern served in the U.S. Army Reserve and she unsuccessfully ran for the Sauk Rapids School Board in 2010. 

 

Patrick Munro grew up in Northfield and graduated from Edina High School in 1982. He has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in business administration from Metropolitan State University. Munro has been a small business owner of Turf Police since 1996. He is also a member of the U.S. Army Retired Reserve (master sergeant) and an Iraq War veteran (2005-2006).

 

Judy Evelyn Adams, an entrepreneur and environmental activist has lived and worked in Minneapolis but currently resides in Lino Lakes.

 

Bob Helland was born in Spring Lake Park and grew up in Sauk Rapids. Helland earned his bachelor's degree in economics at SCSU and worked for the Minnesota Department of Revenue on a seasonal basis starting in 2009 and had a stint with the Department of Public Safety.

 

David Snyder is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has a BA in political science and Criminology. He was a member of the university student senate and later became chair of the University of Minnesota Student Senate. The last 20 years, he has worked as a union iron worker for local 512 in St. Paul, where he holds the position as trustee.

 

Clearwater has a number of candidates on the ballot for Clearwater city and township voters.

 

Locally, three candidates are running for Wright County Commissioner in Dist. 2: Tom Perrault, Darek Vetsch and Bradley  Fyle. Incumbent Pat Sawatzke is not running for re-election after 25 years on the board.

 

Nine candidates are vying to fill four spots on the St. Cloud Dist. 742 School Board: Shannon Haws; Scott Andreasen; Peter Hamerlinck; Monica Segura-Schwartz; Ric Studer; Jeff Pollreis; Matt Doke; John W. Palmer and Al Dahlgren.

 

Polling places: Clearwater City Hall, 605 Co. Rd. 75.

 

Clearwater Twp. Hall, 15015 State Hwy. 24.

 

Primary election polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 at local city and township halls. Absentee ballots can be requested through the Sherburne County or Wright County Auditor’s Offices at 763-765-4351 (Sherburne), 763-682-7578 (Wright) or at www.sos.state.mn.us/  (Sherburne), www.co.wright.mn.us/ (Wright).