It’s a new school year, and soon to be election time.
Registered in ISD 833 for South Washington County School Board this November are nine candidates, including Elizabeth Bockman Eckberg, Chad Borseth, Travis Dahle, Bryn Forstner, Louise Hinz, Juan Huerta, Lori Pechhla Michalski, Katie Schwartz, and Sharon Van Leer.
Hinz, Schwartz, and Van Leer are incumbents, with one other incumbent (Eric Tessmer) not filing for re-election.
South Washington School Board members are elected to four year terms, with Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 4 and early voting open as of Sept. 19. The League of Women Voters - Woodbury Cottage Grove will hold an online candidate forum hosted by True Lens Community Media on Wednesday, September 17th at 7:00 p.m.
For those Journal readers residing in Hastings School District (ISD 200), meanwhile, the school board filings for fall include three candidates for one seat, incumbent Elaine K. Mikel-Mulder facing challenge from Simone Rendon and Marty Weber.
Also registered on the Nov. 4 ballot for South Washington County are council races and a special senate race in State Senate District 47.
As for council races, Jeff Swenson and Jeff Haggerty will both be on the ballot in St. Paul Park, there being two council openings. City elections are nonpartisan.
As for the special senate election, Dwight Dorau (Republican) will face Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL) for the seat formerly held by Nicole Mitchell, who resigned in July. Hemmingsen-Jaeger previously faced Ethan Cha for the DFL primary election Aug. 26, coming away the victor by a margin of 1,552 votes, or 1,978 for Hemmingsen-Jaeger to 426 for Cha.