PineandLakes Echo Journal 2022 Voter's Guide

We hope you find value in the 2022 Voters Guide, where we share information about area candidates seeking to serve their communities by being elected to city council, school board, county board and legislative seats in the Echo Journal coverage area.

This guide features candidates in contested races by including their answers to three questions to help voters decide who to cast votes for at the polls Tuesday, Nov. 8, or via absentee or mail ballots.

The Echo Journal reached out to candidates multiple times via email and text to receive as many responses as possible.

Because of space constraints, only contested area races are included in this guide, and candidates were limited to 75-word answers per question.

There are no contested races for the Pine River-Backus School Board. In fact, there are four open seats but only three people filed. The fourth seat will be filled by a write-in vote.

Incumbent school board candidates who filed for re-election are Leslie Bouchonville, Wanda Carlson and Ryan Trumble. Katy Botz did not file for re-election.

The following area races are uncontested, so these candidates are not featured in the 2022 Voter’s Guide:

PEQUOT LAKES CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Tyler Gardner (incumbent). City council (elect 2): Dan Ronning (appointed in January 2021), Cheri Seils (incumbent).

PINE RIVER CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Tamara Hansen (incumbent). City council (elect 2): Patty Melby (incumbent), Anthony DeSanto (incumbent).

BREEZY POINT CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Angel Zierden.

Special election for two-year city council term: Steve Jensen.

NISSWA CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: John Ryan (incumbent).

Special election for two-year city council term: Joseph Hall.

LAKE SHORE CITY COUNCIL

City council (elect 2): Andrew (Andy)

BACKUS CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Kurt Sawyer (incumbent).

FIFTY LAKES CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Steve Dahlke (incumbent). City council (elect 2): Mark Bradley (incumbent), Jill Radman.

MANHATTAN BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Paul Allen (incumbent). City council (elect 2): Steve Amans, Barbara Ann Wannebo (incumbent).

HACKENSACK CITY COUNCIL

City council (elect 2): Bruce Reeve (incumbent), Jim Schneider (incumbent).

Special election city council: John Chuba.

CHICKAMAW BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Mayor: Murel G. Backman (incumbent). City council: Suzanne L. Henk

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