Six vie for county board seat in primary

In the only Carlton County board primary to be decided during Tuesday's primary election, six candidates will vie for two spots in the Nov. 5 general election for District 5 commissioner.

The position was left open earlier this year after Gary Peterson announced the end of his three-term run in the seat. Peterson is seeking to keep involved by running unopposed to become a soil and water supervisor.

District 5 spans the western half of Carlton County, including Cromwell, Wright, Kettle River and Moose Lake. The top two vote-getters among candidates Neil Dickenson, Alex French, John Peura, Dan Reed, Jason Syrett and Chad Walsh will advance to the general election.

The Pine Knot News reached out to candidates last week to provide an update on their candidacies - how the interactions with voters were going, and what they've learned or would like voters to know before going to the polls Tuesday.

Five of the six candidates responded. Only Walsh did not respond to multiple attempts to reach him using contact information he provided the Minnesota Secretary of State's Office. Like Syrett, Walsh is a former Moose Lake police officer. Earlier this year, the Moose Lake city council voted to contract with the Carlton County Sheriff's Office to provide law enforcement in the city, effectively ending the city's police department.

Neil Dickenson

Biography: Dickenson lives in Wright and served in Carlton County for 23 years on the Minnesota State Patrol. He's been an instructor at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College law enforcement skills program for more than 20 years, and previously served on the Wrenshall school board and as the school's boys basketball coach.

How is campaigning going, what have you been doing, and what impact do you feel you have made on voters?

My campaign is going well. I feel that I have received many suggestions on what is important, and I am open to suggestions. I was in the Moose Lake and Wright parades. I also entered the Wright and Carlton car shows where I had the opportunity to talk to many people.

In what ways have meeting prospective voters shaped your priorities? Have they reinforced your platforms, or even caused you to change your perspective on an important topic?

While talking to residents from Carlton County, I have gained knowledge of what is important to them. Keeping taxes low, maintaining our roads, and supporting our farmers and business owners were at the top of the list. Public safety and county services were also a priority.

The county's new Justice Center will be open for public tours this month, before its full-scale opening soon after that. Share your thoughts on this project.

I was fortunate to be given a tour of the new facility. As a retired law enforcement officer, I understand the importance of safety for officers, jailers, court personnel, county employees and the public while in the facility. This building is very impressive with modern technology and the overall design and construction. The new Justice Center was needed as the current law enforcement center was very outdated and small. The dispatch center will provide better communication for all first responders that will benefit all residents in Carlton County.

Are there any final arguments you'd like voters to hear about you or your candidacy?

I feel with my experience and willingness to learn, I am the best candidate to represent the residents in District 5. If elected, I would use a commonsense approach in all aspects and decisions made in local government. For more information on me, go to voteneildickenson.com.

Alex French

Biography: In one respect, Alex French is the most experienced candidate in the race. An accountant professionally, he won a primary in the District 5 election in 2020, before losing to Peterson for the county board seat in the general election. A resident of Cromwell, he's a city councilmember there. He's also currently treasurer of the Northwest Carlton County Area Ambulance District.

How is your campaigning going, what have you been doing, and what impact do you feel you have made on voters?

I don't have a traditional campaign, where I'm knocking on doors. I do it more organically by being at all the summer events. Cromwell is a small town and I feel good about the people I've run into. I was at Wrong Days in Wright and a memorial walk for a family who lost a son in Cromwell. I've had people approach me after a golf tournament. It's definitely on their minds. They're aware I'm running and what I stand for.

In what ways have meeting prospective voters shaped your priorities? Have they reinforced your platforms, or even caused you to change your perspective on an important topic?

My assumptions have been somewhat reinforced by my interactions. People just want to know their tax dollars are being well-spent and well-looked after. The tax burden isn't spread as far in a small county and people just want an advocate for them who is making sure that it's not just Santa's wish list being approved. Ultimately, they want to be safe and their roads taken care of; when something bad happens, they want good people coming to help them.

The county's new Justice Center will be open for public tours this month, before its full-scale opening soon after that. Share your thoughts on this project.

Well, they had to respond to the sunset letter they received in 2020. I'm glad it was built using sales tax dollars. Staffing it and keeping the lights and heat on is going to fall on property taxes. It looks like there's going to be a surplus of beds, at least at the current rate of housing inmates, and getting inmates from other counties to offset some of the costs should be looked into. Based on some articles, they did a nice job planning, going geothermal and using a lot of natural light. They did the best they could with the information they had.

Are there any final arguments you'd like voters to hear about you or your candidacy?

I'm a mail-in ballot, so I've already voted. My argument is that it's a list of great candidates. I know two of them really well. Personally, I believe I'm the best one because I'm approachable and a problem solver. I have the whole county in mind, but my heart is in District 5 and I plan to spend the rest of my life there. I want to continue to see it grow and thrive.

John Peura

Biography: Peura, of Moose Lake, is a longtime community advocate, currently serving a second term on the Minnesota Board of Firefighter Training and Education. He's also a Kettle River emergency medical responder, serves on the Ma and Pa Kettle Days committee, and drives school bus for Barnum, where he started by assisting with a driver shortage before becoming an advocate to keep busing within the district versus farming it out to a private firm.

How is your campaigning going, what have you been doing, and what impact do you feel you have made on voters?

The campaign is moving in the correct direction. Folks are excited to see my signs in the community and folks are excited to vote for someone they know, even if they were contacted by other candidates. First-time voters are excited to exercise their civic duty.

In what ways have meeting prospective voters shaped your priorities? Have they reinforced your platforms, or even caused you to change your perspective on an important topic?

No major platform changes. The issues remain the same: the Kettle River maintenance garage, taxes, roads/bridges, and public safety. These are the critical issues affecting the communities.

The county's new Justice Center will be open for public tours this month, before its full-scale opening soon after that. Share your thoughts on this project.

The project should have been started earlier when the initial notice was issued and the commissioners at the time should have started taking action versus waiting until the final notice was issued. Delayed maintenance does not serve the county, it only costs more in the end. It will be great to follow the judiciary's directive to chamber the third judge in the county.

Are there any final arguments you'd like voters to hear about you or your candidacy?

One thing voters should know is that I am fair, firm, and consistent in my approach to governing, unlike when you open a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. I am not a career politician. Since I have not served on a school board, city council, or township board, I have not voted to increase levies which raise taxes. Even if you don't prefer to vote in primary elections because of the partisan races, you can still get "get off the bench" and vote in the nonpartisan races to shape the November ballot.

Dan Reed

Biography: Reed lives in Automba. He is a published author, and has been a longtime contributor to local newspapers, including the Pine Knot News. He's covered the county board as a reporter and also serves on his township board, in addition to being a local historian. He has the endorsement of the outgoing commissioner, Peterson.

How is your campaigning going, what have you been doing, and what impact do you feel you have made on voters?

I believe in a personal campaign, meeting with groups and going door to door. The response has been heartwarming. Voters like and respect one-to-one. I want to know each corner of this large district and the needs of each household. I like that contact with each voter and am energized by it. Knowing the people of the district will make me a better commissioner.

In what ways have meeting prospective voters shaped your priorities? Have they reinforced your platforms, or even caused you to change your perspective on an important topic?

I knew that district road conditions were a big focus. I want to have an active road upgrade program in my district. The jobs we drive to, and the groceries and parts we run for, need good roads. Commissioner Gary Peterson told me it was a big job and could take 60 to 70 hours a week to handle meetings, committees, and researching the pros and cons of each issue. I commit to being a full-time commissioner.

The county's new Justice Center will be open for public tours this month, before its full-scale opening soon after that. Share your thoughts on this project.

The Justice Center is the largest county building project since the Carlton Courthouse was built in the early 1920s. It is built to keep inmates and staff safe in a state-of-the-art facility with all corners of the complex monitored by technology that requires the least amount of staffing. The number of women incarcerated there is working itself to be 50 percent of the population. Programming for those women, the first in Northeast Minnesota, will attempt to help those women to not be repeat offenders. I would like to support that effort.

Are there any final arguments you'd like voters to hear about you or your candidacy?

I have lived here all my life, raising children and grandchildren. As a local historian, I have seen our rural economic strength weaken and our population decline. I promoted Starlink for our internet service as a pilot program in Automba Township when no other provider could give good service. Lakeview Township followed. Our movement to new types of business growth depends on reliable technology. I would like to find new ways of promoting economic development throughout the county. Thank you for the opportunity to express my views.

Jason Syrett

Biography: A former Moose Lake police officer, Syrett is now the transportation director for Moose Lake School, running the bus garage.

Syrett laments the loss of Moose Lake's city police force, and said he watched from inside the department as the situation deteriorated through multiple administrations. He previously ran for Carlton County Sheriff in 2022, losing to incumbent Kelly Lake. He is running for commissioner, believing he "could run for our side of the county," and help be a voice for change that way.

How is your campaigning going, what have you been doing, and what impact do you feel you have made on voters?

While in public I am getting a lot of citizens wishing me luck. I have not been going door to door, instead waiting to see what the primary brings due to the amount of people running for District 5.

In what ways have meeting prospective voters shaped your priorities? Have they reinforced your platforms, or even caused you to change your perspective on an important topic?

My platform continues to be the same, addressing how Carlton County spends taxpayers' money wisely. We cannot keep throwing money at the problems. There are other solutions. New commissioners create new and different ideas.

The county's new Justice Center will be open for public tours this month, before its full-scale opening soon after that. Share your thoughts on this project.

I continue to disagree with how the new Justice Center process took place with county officials - the location, planning and financial spending. I understand it is almost complete, it is done with, time to move forward.

Are there any final arguments you'd like voters to hear about you or your candidacy?

Carlton County needs change and new ideas.

Look for election results from Tuesday on the Pine Knot News.

Facebook page and in next week's issue and online.