Candidates File for Bemidji, Brainerd School Board Elections

Today was the last day candidates could file for school board elections in Minnesota, and there will be no shortage of candidates in Brainerd and Bemidji.

In Brainerd, there are 16 candidates for five seats. Three seats for four-year terms will come from this pool of seven candidates:

• Charles Black Lance
• DJ Dondelinger
• Randy “RJ” Heidmann
• Elisa Korentayer
• Derek Owen
• Lowell Smith
• Sarah Speer

Charles Black Lance and Sarah Speer currently sit on the board and are hoping to win re-election over the five challengers.

Two more seats to fill a two-year term in a special election will come from this pool of nine candidates in Brainerd. None of the candidates are currently serving on the board:

• Anthony Bonsante
• Michelle Brekken
• Tris Cluever
• Jessica Lynn Forsberg
• Trevor Mulholland
• Mike Stanek
• David R. Stimac
• John Ward
• Brent Yaunick

In Bemidji, 23 people in all have filed to fill five seats. There will be 10 candidates competing to fill three four-year term seats for School Board Member at Large:

• Ashley Brue
• Jenny Frenzel
• Kerin Hanson
• Nicole Jaranson
• Carol L. Johnson
• Meredith Kehoe
• Anna Manecke
• Wesley Newell
• Dave Wall
• Sarah Young

Sarah Young and Carol L. Johnson are currently on the board. The other current school board member, Jeff Lind, did not file for another term.

Bemidji’s School Board Member at Large election will fill two seats for two-year terms. There are 13 candidates in that election, and all would be new to the board:

• Brian Dow
• Guy Drevlow
• Jake Hemingway
• Justin Hoover
• Kimberly Jannson
• Julie Laitala
• CT Marhula
• Michael Meehlhause
• Daniel Nynas
• Marie Richey
• Danielle Thorson
• Miriam White
• Rebecca Whiting