Meeker County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for County Commissioner, County Sheriff and County Attorney and more, and where they stand on the budget, schools and health care.
County offices
Commissioner District 1Nonpartisan race · Andy Carlson
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Andy Carlson
Andy Carlson filed as a candidate for the Meeker County Commissioner District 1 seat in the 2026 election, per KLFD Radio. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Andy Carlson is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Commissioner District 1, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings (Minnesota prints unopposed county races).
Full race pageCommissioner District 5Nonpartisan race · Steve Schmitt
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Steve Schmitt
Steve Schmitt was raised on a dairy, beef and crop farm in southern Scott County and served in the U.S. Air Force beginning in 1986 before returning to agriculture, per his campaign site. He moved to Meeker County in 2000, ran a dairy, cattle and crop operation and later a seed business, and was elected to the Meeker County Board of Commissioners in November 2018, per his campaign site.
Steve Schmitt is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Commissioner District 5, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings (Minnesota prints unopposed county races).
Full race pageSheriffNonpartisan race · Brian Cruze
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Brian Cruze
Brian Cruze is the 28th Sheriff of Meeker County and announced his candidacy for reelection in March 2026, per Ingstad Media reporting. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Brian Cruze is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Sheriff, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings (Minnesota prints unopposed county races).
Full race pageAttorneyNonpartisan race · Brandi L. Schiefelbein
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Brandi L. Schiefelbein
Brandi L. Schiefelbein is the incumbent Meeker County Attorney, elected president of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association in December 2025, per the West Central Tribune. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Brandi L. Schiefelbein is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Attorney, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings (Minnesota prints unopposed county races).
Full race pageJudges
Judge, Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court, Seat 2Nonpartisan race · Stephanie L. Beckman
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Stephanie L. Beckman
Stephanie L. Beckman is a judge of the Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Meeker County District Court December 12, 2012, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2014 and 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously Meeker County Attorney, 2006-2012, and served as Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge, 2021-2026, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Stephanie L. Beckman is the only name on the ballot for this seat; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected, so the race is on the November 3, 2026 ballot but is not contested. Minnesota's 8th Judicial District covers Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine counties; judges are elected at large across the whole district, so every voter there, not just voters in one county, votes on this seat. Minnesota judicial elections are nonpartisan and decided by plurality, with no runoff. Listed from the Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table.
Full race pageJudge, Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court, Seat 4Nonpartisan race · Melissa Listug
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Melissa Listug
Melissa Listug is a judge of the Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Pope County District Court Nov. 7, 2018, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an attorney at Littler Mendelson, P.C. and at Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Melissa Listug is the only name on the ballot for this seat; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected, so the race is on the November 3, 2026 ballot but is not contested. Minnesota's 8th Judicial District covers Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine counties; judges are elected at large across the whole district, so every voter there, not just voters in one county, votes on this seat. Minnesota judicial elections are nonpartisan and decided by plurality, with no runoff. Listed from the Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table.
Full race pageJudge, Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court, Seat 7Nonpartisan race · Laurence J. Stratton
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Laurence J. Stratton
Laurence J. Stratton is a judge of the Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court. Appointed Assistant Chief Judge of the Renville County District Court Jan. 28, 2019, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an assistant Renville County attorney and associate attorney at Muske, Muske & Suhrhoff, Ltd., per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Laurence J. Stratton is the only name on the ballot for this seat; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected, so the race is on the November 3, 2026 ballot but is not contested. Minnesota's 8th Judicial District covers Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine counties; judges are elected at large across the whole district, so every voter there, not just voters in one county, votes on this seat. Minnesota judicial elections are nonpartisan and decided by plurality, with no runoff. Listed from the Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table.
Full race pageJudge, Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court, Seat 10Nonpartisan race · Benjamin Charles Pieh
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Benjamin Charles Pieh
Judge Benjamin Pieh was appointed to the Eighth Judicial District bench by Governor Tim Walz on November 19, 2024, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. He earned his J.D. from Rutgers Law School and previously worked as an assistant public defender in the Eighth Judicial District. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Benjamin Charles Pieh is the only name on the ballot for this seat; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected, so the race is on the November 3, 2026 ballot but is not contested. Minnesota's 8th Judicial District covers Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine counties; judges are elected at large across the whole district, so every voter there, not just voters in one county, votes on this seat. Minnesota judicial elections are nonpartisan and decided by plurality, with no runoff. Listed from the Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table.
Full race pageJudge, Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court, Seat 11Nonpartisan race · Allison T. Whalen
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Allison T. Whalen
Allison T. Whalen is a judge of the Minnesota 8th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Swift County District Court February 26, 2024, by Governor Tim Walz, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously interim Stevens County Attorney and an assistant Stevens and Swift County attorney, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Allison T. Whalen is the only name on the ballot for this seat; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected, so the race is on the November 3, 2026 ballot but is not contested. Minnesota's 8th Judicial District covers Big Stone, Chippewa, Grant, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Pope, Renville, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin and Yellow Medicine counties; judges are elected at large across the whole district, so every voter there, not just voters in one county, votes on this seat. Minnesota judicial elections are nonpartisan and decided by plurality, with no runoff. Listed from the Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table.
Full race pageDistricts and boards
Soil and Water Supervisor District 3Nonpartisan race · John Haffley
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
John Haffley
John Haffley appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Soil and Water Supervisor District 3, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate filing is the only verifiable source for John Haffley.
John Haffley is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Soil and Water Supervisor District 3, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings (Minnesota prints unopposed county races).
Full race pageSoil and Water Supervisor District 5Nonpartisan race · Jonathan Hoff
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Jonathan Hoff
Jonathan Hoff, listed as Jon Hoff, serves as vice chair on the Meeker County Soil and Water Conservation District board, per the county's website. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Jonathan Hoff is the only candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Meeker County Soil and Water Supervisor District 5, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate filings (Minnesota prints unopposed county races).
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Meeker County is split across 6 Minnesota Senate and House districts.
Find your districts by addressMinnesota Senate: 3 districtsDistricts 16, 17, 29
Minnesota Senate District 16Kathy Jorgenson (D) · Andrew R. Lang (R)
Kathy Jorgenson
Kathy Jorgenson is an agronomist with a master's degree in natural resources management from North Dakota State University who has worked at Central Regions Cooperative, according to the West Central Tribune. She also serves as a part-time teacher and sits on the Morton City Council and the Morton Community Foundation. She is the DFL candidate for Senate District 16. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Andrew R. Lang
Andrew R. Lang is the Republican candidate for Minnesota Senate District 16 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's certified candidate table. Andrew R. Lang is a sitting member for the district, per the Minnesota Senate's official member directory (senate.mn). No campaign website was found as of September 12, 2026.
Kathy Jorgenson (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), Andrew R. Lang (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Minnesota Senate District 16; Andrew R. Lang is the sitting member, per the Minnesota Senate's official member directory (senate.mn). Nominees were chosen at the August 11, 2026 primary (where contested) or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified candidate table; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMinnesota Senate District 17Julie Kelzer (D) · Glenn H Gruenhagen (R)
Julie Kelzer
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports affordability of health care, childcare, housing, food and energy
- Supports stable school funding and staffing
- Supports transparency in government spending
About Julie Kelzer
Julie Kelzer has worked in customer service since age 14 and earned a cosmetology degree from Regency Beauty Institute in 2010, working as a salon manager and stylist before the pandemic, per the campaign site. She later started her own residential house cleaning business to keep flexible hours for her family, per the campaign site. Kelzer is a mother of two, per the campaign site.
Glenn H Gruenhagen
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports electing judges who interpret the constitution and laws as written
- Opposes abortion
- Supports reducing taxes and regulations
About Glenn H Gruenhagen
Gruenhagen owns Gruenhagen Insurance and Financial Services and holds Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations, per the campaign site. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1971 to 1973 and on the Glencoe Silver Lake school board for 16 years, per the campaign site. He has represented McLeod and Sibley counties in the Minnesota House since 2010, per the campaign site.
Julie Kelzer (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), Glenn H Gruenhagen (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Minnesota Senate District 17; Glenn H Gruenhagen is the sitting member, per the Minnesota Senate's official member directory (senate.mn). Nominees were chosen at the August 11, 2026 primary (where contested) or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified candidate table; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMinnesota Senate District 29Louis McNutt (D) · Michael Holmstrom Jr (R)
Louis McNutt
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Lowering costs for working families
- A moratorium on new data centers in Minnesota
- Fully funding schools across the district
About Louis McNutt
Louis McNutt is a union leader and Buffalo, Minnesota resident of more than 10 years who is the DFL candidate for Minnesota Senate District 29, per his campaign site and the Delano Herald Journal, running against incumbent Republican Sen. Michael Holmstrom Jr.
Michael Holmstrom Jr
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Limited government and restoring accountability and transparency at the Capitol, per Minnesota Senate Republicans caucus bio
- Safe communities and strong families, per Minnesota Senate Republicans caucus bio
- Improving educational opportunities, per Minnesota Senate Republicans caucus bio
About Michael Holmstrom Jr
Michael Holmstrom Jr is a small business owner from Buffalo who was elected to the Minnesota Senate in a November 2025 special election after the death of Sen. Bruce Anderson, per his Senate Republicans caucus biography and the Senate's official member directory. He was the only Republican to file for the District 29 seat in 2026 and is seeking a full term against DFL nominee Louis McNutt. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Louis McNutt (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), Michael Holmstrom Jr (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Minnesota Senate District 29; Michael Holmstrom Jr is the sitting member, per the Minnesota Senate's official member directory (senate.mn). Nominees were chosen at the August 11, 2026 primary (where contested) or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified candidate table; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMinnesota House: 3 districtsDistricts 16A, 17A, 29A
Minnesota House District 16AScott Van Binsbergen (R) · David J Torgelson (D)
Scott Van Binsbergen
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Agriculture
- Economy and jobs
- Taxes and spending
About Scott Van Binsbergen
Van Binsbergen is president of Van Binsbergen & Associates, which employs over 100 people in five states, and has built and owned companies creating hundreds of jobs over the past 25 years, per the campaign site. Van Binsbergen is a past recipient of the SW Minnesota Entrepreneur of the Year award, has been appointed by three governors to the Minnesota Board of Accountancy, and the site says he currently serves District 16A in the Minnesota House, per the campaign site.
David J Torgelson
David Torgelson of Olivia is a former Renville County attorney and the DFL candidate for Minnesota House District 16A, according to the West Central Tribune. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Scott Van Binsbergen (Republican), David J Torgelson (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) are on the November 3 ballot for Minnesota House District 16A; Scott Van Binsbergen is the sitting member, per the Minnesota House of Representatives's official member directory (house.mn.gov). Nominees were chosen at the August 11, 2026 primary (where contested) or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified candidate table; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMinnesota House District 17ADawn Gillman (R) · Mali Anderson (D)
Dawn Gillman
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Describes herself as a trusted conservative focused on protecting the rights of district residents
About Dawn Gillman
Dawn Gillman is a business owner and former Dassel city council member, per campaign site. Dawn Gillman founded Let Them Play Minnesota, an organization that advocated for reopening schools and athletics in 2020, per campaign site.
Mali Anderson
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Universal healthcare access, drawing on her own experience with government medical assistance programs
- More accessible and affordable housing in the district
- Supporting women-owned businesses and defending constitutional rights
About Mali Anderson
Anderson grew up on a hobby farm in New Mexico and later trained as a paramedic before completing an associate's degree at Ridgewater College in Minnesota in 2015, per the campaign site. She describes having experienced homelessness and being a sexual assault survivor, and says those experiences inform her work as a disability advocate, per the campaign site.
Dawn Gillman (Republican), Mali Anderson (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) are on the November 3 ballot for Minnesota House District 17A; Dawn Gillman is the sitting member, per the Minnesota House of Representatives's official member directory (house.mn.gov). Nominees were chosen at the August 11, 2026 primary (where contested) or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified candidate table; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMinnesota House District 29AJoe McDonald (R) · Emily Dahlgren (D)
Joe McDonald
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Supports limited government and constitutional values
- Emphasizes individual liberties
About Joe McDonald
McDonald opened a photography studio in Delano in 1988 and later earned Master's and Craftsman photography degrees, per the campaign site. He served on the Delano City Council beginning in 2000, was elected mayor in 2006, and has served in the Minnesota Legislature since 2010, per the campaign site.
Emily Dahlgren
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Healthcare access
- Environmental protection of Minnesota's natural resources
- Government accountability and fraud prevention
About Emily Dahlgren
Emily Dahlgren is a first-time candidate and former Ford Motor Company worker and union member who moved to Delano from St. Paul in 2021, per the Delano Herald Journal. She is the DFL candidate for Minnesota House District 29A, running against longtime incumbent Rep. Joe McDonald.
Joe McDonald (Republican), Emily Dahlgren (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) are on the November 3 ballot for Minnesota House District 29A; Joe McDonald is the sitting member, per the Minnesota House of Representatives's official member directory (house.mn.gov). Nominees were chosen at the August 11, 2026 primary (where contested) or qualified directly for the general ballot. The field is the Secretary of State's certified candidate table; Minnesota prints unopposed candidates rather than deeming them elected. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageBallot questions
5 local ballot questions from official county, city and school district lists. Countywide questions appear on every ballot in Meeker County; city, school district and special-district questions only inside the jurisdiction named. Statewide measures are listed separately.
Township Question 1: Danielson Township Clerk and/or Treasurer Appointment ProcessDanielson Township · Allows Danielson Township supervisors to appoint someone from outside the township as clerk or treasurer if no township resident files for or accepts the position.
Allows Danielson Township supervisors to appoint someone from outside the township as clerk or treasurer if no township resident files for or accepts the position.
School District Question 1: Approval of School District Referendum Revenue AuthorizationIndependent School District No. 423 (Hutchinson Public Schools) · Would revoke the school district's existing referendum revenue authorization of its existing per-pupil amount and replace it with a new authorization of $412 per pupil for ten years.
Would revoke the school district's existing referendum revenue authorization of its existing per-pupil amount and replace it with a new authorization of $412 per pupil for ten years.
School District Question 1: Revoking Existing Referendum Revenue Authorization; Approving New AuthorizationIndependent School District No. 463 (Eden Valley-Watkins) · Would revoke the school district's existing referendum revenue authorization of $498.85 per pupil and replace it with a new authorization of $1,528 per pupil for ten years.
Would revoke the school district's existing referendum revenue authorization of $498.85 per pupil and replace it with a new authorization of $1,528 per pupil for ten years.
School District Question 2: Approval of School District Bond IssueIndependent School District No. 465 (Litchfield Public Schools) · Would authorize the school board to issue general obligation school building bonds of up to $15,400,000 for betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction of improvements, renovations and upgrades to the Wagner Education Building, including the construction of a….
Would authorize the school board to issue general obligation school building bonds of up to $15,400,000 for betterment of school sites and facilities, including the construction of improvements, renovations and upgrades to the Wagner Education Building, including the construction of a….
School District Question 1: Approval of Capital Project Levy Authorization to Fund TechnologyIndependent School District No. 739 (Kimball Area Public Schools) · Would let the school board adopt a new capital project levy authorization of 6.022% of the district's net tax capacity to fund technology, curriculum, transportation and facility maintenance costs.
Would let the school board adopt a new capital project levy authorization of 6.022% of the district's net tax capacity to fund technology, curriculum, transportation and facility maintenance costs.
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Who is on the ballot in Meeker County, Minnesota on November 3, 2026?
Meeker County sample ballot 2026: see where the commissioner, county sheriff and county attorney candidates stand on the budget, schools and health care. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Minnesota?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Minnesota are listed on the Minnesota election hub. Minnesota election hub →
What ballot questions are on the Meeker County ballot?
5 ballot questions: Danielson Township Clerk and/or Treasurer Appointment Process; Approval of School District Referendum Revenue Authorization; Revoking Existing Referendum Revenue Authorization; Approving New Authorization; and more. Each question page explains what a yes vote and a no vote would do.
How do I see my exact Meeker County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Minnesota statewide racesEvery Minnesota race on this county's ballot.All Minnesota ballot measures1 statewide ballot measure