20-year-old set to serve on Thomson board

Nathan Barta is just 20, but he won in a landslide Tuesday, taking more than 50 percent of the vote for Thomson Township Supervisor Seat C while his opponents – Jaryn Edblad and John Bergman – garnered 27 and 22.6 percent.

While the incoming Thomson supervisor is definitely the youngest person in Carlton County – or maybe even the state – to win election Tuesday, the University of Minnesota Duluth junior knows a thing or two about local politics. Two years ago he penned a guest column in the Pine Knot News against gerrymandering. That same year – 2022 – he presented a proposal to redraw the five Carlton County commissioner districts. At the time, he was a high school junior in Esko.

In January, Barta and Logan Saline – who ran unopposed for Seat D – will join three other supervisors overseeing the budget, projects and future plans for the 5,704 residents of the county's largest township.

Barta said his general goal is to take care of the township he was born and raised in. While he praised the current board, he'd like to see some zoning changes in the township.

"We're a growing community. Zoning needs to reflect and sustain the type of growth we are seeing," he said.

He also hopes to work on green spaces and walking paths.

Barta's youth may not have been the disadvantage some might assume.

"I have friends and most of my extended family lives in Esko," he said. "It was great when I needed to put out yard signs."

He also got a text from an election judge with the in-person numbers for his race, which showed him with a surprisingly large lead just after 8 p.m. Tuesday. Once absentee ballots were counted, his big win was confirmed after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"I'm really grateful to see all the support. It's really humbling," he said.

Barta will celebrate his 21st birthday in December, which means he will be old enough to take his newly elected seat in January.

Two ties

Carlton County saw two races tie on Tuesday: one for Wrenshall mayor, the other for Kettle River City Council.

"I was shocked," said incumbent Wrenshall mayor Gary Butala, who ran for re-election. "I knew it was gonna be close."

Challenger Jeff Bloom was also surprised ... and wished he'd bought a lottery ticket.

"What are the chances of this? I can't believe it happens very often," he said.

Bloom and Butala tied at 143 votes each, with one write-in vote. The city council will canvass and certify the results on Tuesday. The race is eligible for a no-cost recount after votes are canvassed, county auditor/treasurer Kevin DeVriendt said.

The same is true in Kettle River, where a race for two city council seats saw Marcia Sarvela win the most votes with 61, and two candidates - Patricia Lund and Laura Simi - tie with 33 votes each. Incumbent council member Monique Annette Doward garnered 19 votes and will not serve a second term.

Mayor David Lucas also won re-election, with 61 votes to 23 for challenger Jesse Kemp.

Lucas said he doesn't expect a recount to change things. "It's not like we have hundreds of people to count," he said.

Regardless of who wins in the end, Lucas said he's looking forward to working with a more cohesive council.

"I think it will make it easier for everyone else to actually get things done," he said.

According to state statues, in case of a tie, the canvassing board would decide "by lot" who will win the election. That could mean rolling dice, flipping a coin, choosing names out of hat or drawing cards or any other chance event. The Kettle River votes will be canvassed on Tuesday.

Another close one

The races in Wrenshall and Kettle River aren't the only close ones in the county. DeVriendt said there will likely be a third recount, albeit one that is outside the parameters of an automatic or free recount.

In Moose Lake, the mayor candidates are separated by only seven votes. Jim Michalski received 414 votes to Doug Juntunen's 407 votes, or 49.11 percent to 48.28 percent. There were 22 write-in votes.

"I'm hearing they may want a recount in Moose Lake," DeVriendt said, explaining that recounts are free only if the votes are less than half a percent apart.

Holyoke Township also saw very close results in its Supervisor Seat C race, where Scott Southworth had 69 votes to 68 for LeeAnne Gibson.

Write-in candidates

Both Nichole Diver and Kerry Rodd ran write-in campaigns for office: Diver for Cloquet school board and Rodd for Scanlon City Council.

Write-in winners won't be announced until after canvassing is done, but odds are in Diver's favor. There were three spots on the Cloquet school board up for election this year, but only two candidates filed: Melissa Siltanen Juntunen and LeAnn Butler. Juntunen received 4,138 votes and Butler 3,352. There were 628 write in votes.

Diver threw her hat in the ring as a write-in candidate and as long as she has the largest number of votes, the seat is hers.

"I don't think Donald [Duck] or Mickey [Mouse] will be winning any seats," DeVriendt said, adding that he's seen a wide range of names on past ballots.

Two candidates had filed for two city council seats in Scanlon when Rodd started his write-in campaign.

The numbers show candidates Scott Boedigheimer and Mary Ann Johnson with the most votes: Boedigheimer with 378 and Johnson with 241 to a total of 178 write-in votes.

Other contested races

Other Carlton County contested races – not reported elsewhere in this week's issue – included the following:

Carlton Soil and Water District (SWCD)

SWCD District 1:

Barbara Dahl 9,950

votes

Michelle Boyechko

5,378 votes

SWCD District 5:

Roger Hurd 8,427 votes

Bruce Heikes 6,375

votes

Carlton mayor

Mike Soderstrom 325

Ann Gustafson 189

Holyoke town clerk

Jerry Frank Hlava 82

Amanda VanAuken 59

Wrenshall City Council (elect 2)

Kevin House 112

Steven Studniski 103

Cindy Washenesky 92

Melvin M. Martindale

86

Sabrina Weber 81

Barnum school board (elect four)

Louis Bonneville 1,371

Patrick S. Poirier 1,351

Beth Dinger 1,113

Mike Orn 1,040

Stephanie Ferrin 1,025

Sixth Judicial District

~The Sixth Judicial District includes all of St. Louis, Carlton, Cook and Lake counties.

Shawn Reed 63,076

Gunnar Johnson 52,823