On every Moorhead ballot
SheriffNonpartisan race · Mark Empting
Mark Empting
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and leadership that listens to the community, per Valley News Live
- Highlights the professionalism of his office's deputies, correctional officers, and staff, per Valley News Live
About Mark Empting
Mark Empting is the incumbent Clay County Sheriff, in law enforcement since 1997 and sheriff since 2018, seeking a third term, per Valley News Live. He has been a member of the Dilworth Fire Department since 1991, where he currently serves as fire chief. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
AttorneyNonpartisan race · Amber Gustafson · Brian Melton
Amber Gustafson
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Says public safety must remain a top priority and repeat, violent offenders must be held accountable
- Wants to address the link between mental health, addiction, and crime through intervention strategies
- Plans to partner with law enforcement, defense attorneys, and community organizations
About Amber Gustafson
Amber Gustafson is a Moorhead native and former Seventh Judicial District judge who resigned the bench in 2021 after her husband, West Fargo Police Lt. Adam Gustafson, died, to raise their three children, per her campaign site and KFGO. She has been a licensed Minnesota attorney for nearly 20 years and served eight years in the Minnesota Army National Guard.
Brian Melton
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Keeping the county safe through experienced prosecution and sound judgment
- Providing steady leadership under pressure
- Supporting victims and working with law enforcement and community partners
About Brian Melton
Brian Melton is the Clay County Attorney seeking re-election, with nearly 30 years prosecuting cases in the county and more than 50 jury trials, per the campaign site. He is a retired U.S. Army colonel who commanded more than 800 soldiers in Iraq and received the Bronze Star, per the campaign site. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, per the campaign site.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressSoil and Water Supervisor District 3Nonpartisan race · Randy Schellack
Randy Schellack
Randy Schellack appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Clay 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 Randy Schellack.
Soil and Water Supervisor District 4Nonpartisan race · Robert Anderson · Jerald Butenhoff
Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson was raised on a farmstead south of Glyndon and graduated from Glyndon-Felton High School, per his statement in the Clay Soil and Water Conservation District's 2026 booklet of statements. He says he served on the district board before and is running for one term only, per the same statement. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Jerald Butenhoff
Jerald Butenhoff is a longtime farmer who grew up on his family farm outside Barnesville and has served as an Alliance Township supervisor for 37 years, per his statement in the Clay Soil and Water Conservation District's 2026 booklet of statements. He holds the District 4 seat and is the board's treasurer, per the county's district board page. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 2Nonpartisan race · Michael Leeser
Michael Leeser
Michael Leeser is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Clay County District Court September 3, 2024, by Governor Tim Walz, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an assistant Clay County attorney, 2014-2024, and former president of the Clay County Bar Association, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 8Nonpartisan race · Matthew E. Engelking
Matthew E. Engelking
Matthew E. Engelking is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Stearns County District Court by Governor Tim Walz on July 22, 2019, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously chief of the juvenile division and senior attorney in the Stearns County Attorney's Office, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 9Nonpartisan race · Michelle Winkis Lawson
Michelle Winkis Lawson
Michelle Winkis Lawson is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Becker County District Court Nov. 14, 2012, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2014 and 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously chief assistant and interim Clay County Attorney, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 11Nonpartisan race · Andrew Pearson
Andrew Pearson
Andrew Pearson is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Stearns County District Court by Governor Mark Dayton on Nov. 1, 2013, and elected in 2014 and 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously a Seventh District public defender, 1999-2007, and an attorney at Bradshaw & Bryant, PLLC, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 12Nonpartisan race · Kevin M. Miller
Kevin M. Miller
Kevin M. Miller is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Otter Tail County District Court May 7, 2018, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an assistant Becker County attorney and owner of the Miller Law Office, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 13Nonpartisan race · Michelle Clark
Michelle Clark
Michelle Clark is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Douglas County District Court by Governor Mark Dayton on June 21, 2018, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an assistant Douglas County attorney, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 14Nonpartisan race · Meriel Lester
Meriel Lester
Meriel Lester is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Morrison County District Court September 12, 2025, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously assistant chief of the domestic violence unit and an assistant attorney in the Stearns County Attorney's Office, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 15Nonpartisan race · Ole Tvedten
Ole Tvedten
Ole Tvedten is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed September 9, 2024, by Governor Tim Walz, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously criminal division chief and an assistant attorney in the Stearns County Attorney's Office, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 21Nonpartisan race · Robert J. Raupp
Robert J. Raupp
Robert J. Raupp is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Benton County District Court June 3, 2013, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2014 and 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously Benton County Attorney, 2000-2013, and first assistant Benton County attorney, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 22Nonpartisan race · Doug Clark
Doug Clark
Doug Clark is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Wadena County District Court by Governor Mark Dayton on Nov. 29, 2018, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an attorney and supervising attorney at Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 24Nonpartisan race · Karl L. Schmidt
Karl L. Schmidt
Karl L. Schmidt is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Benton County District Court on July 29, 2024, by Governor Tim Walz, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously Benton County Attorney and senior assistant Benton County attorney, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 26Nonpartisan race · Mark J. Herzing
Mark J. Herzing
Mark J. Herzing is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Mille Lacs County District Court Feb. 1, 2019, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously an assistant Mille Lacs County attorney and a teacher and coach in the Cambridge-Isanti and Milaca school districts, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 27Nonpartisan race · Tammy L. Merkins
Tammy L. Merkins
Tammy L. Merkins is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Clay County District Court by Governor Mark Dayton on June 1, 2018, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously Becker County Attorney and a partner at Thorwaldsen, Malmstrom, Sorum, Majors & Merkins, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 28Nonpartisan race · Antoinette C. Wetzel
Antoinette C. Wetzel
Antoinette C. Wetzel is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Morrison County District Court July 23, 2018, by Governor Mark Dayton and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously ran the Wetzel Law Firm and served as a qualified neutral mediator and city attorney for Royalton and Little Falls, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Judge, Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court, Seat 30Nonpartisan race · Jade M. Rosenfeldt
Jade M. Rosenfeldt
Jade M. Rosenfeldt is a judge of the Minnesota 7th Judicial District Court. Appointed to the Clay County District Court by Governor Tim Walz on November 1, 2019, and elected in 2020, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Previously a shareholder attorney at Vogel Law Firm, 2008-2019, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.
Full candidate profiles, priorities and campaign sites are on the Clay County page.
Statewide races
U.S. SenatePeggy Flanagan (DFL) · Michele Tafoya (R) · Marisa Simonetti (Independent) · Rebecca Whiting (Libertarian)
Peggy Flanagan
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Ending corruption
- Healthcare
- Affording your life
About Peggy Flanagan
Flanagan serves as Minnesota's lieutenant governor, a position held since 2019, per the campaign site. Flanagan is a member of the White Earth Nation and holds a degree from the University of Minnesota, per the campaign site. The campaign site says Flanagan's background includes work as a nonprofit executive director, an organizational trainer, and a state legislator, and that Flanagan was elected to the Minneapolis School Board at age 25, per the campaign site.
Michele Tafoya
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Stop the fraud
- Law and order
- Cut costs and taxes for the middle class
About Michele Tafoya
Michele Tafoya is a four-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and a former NFL sideline reporter whose career spanned nearly three decades, per the campaign site. The campaign site says she retired after covering Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 and is now a political and cultural commentator.
Marisa Simonetti
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Agriculture
- Education
- Energy
About Marisa Simonetti
Marisa Simonetti is the independent candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat, listed as Independent (no party) on the Minnesota Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table. The campaign site calls the campaign Marisa for Minnesota, with the message We the People vs. The System, per the campaign site.
Rebecca Whiting
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- No more wars
- No more entangling alliances
- Bring the troops home
About Rebecca Whiting
Rebecca Whiting is the Libertarian Party candidate on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's certified general-election candidate table. The campaign site, whiting4senate.us, invites visitors to join the movement to #EndTheWars and #DefundTheGovernment, per the campaign site.
GovernorAmy Klobuchar (D) · Lisa Demuth (R)
Amy Klobuchar
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Lower costs for Minnesotans
- Make government accountable and root out fraud
- Prepare Minnesota's workforce for the future
About Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar is a sitting U.S. Senator seeking the Minnesota governorship; she previously served as a county prosecutor and is the granddaughter of an iron-ore miner and the daughter of a newspaperman and a second-grade teacher, per the campaign site.
Lisa Demuth
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Taxes and affordability, which her campaign names as her top priority
- Eliminating fraud in state programs
- Public safety
About Lisa Demuth
Lisa Demuth is speaker of the Minnesota House, a fourth-term state representative from Cold Spring, a former small-business owner and an eleven-year ROCORI school board member, and the Republican nominee for governor. She is the first Black major-party nominee for Minnesota governor.
Attorney GeneralKeith Ellison (DFL) · Ron Schutz (R)
Keith Ellison
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Protect consumers, workers, and civil rights
- Use the attorney general's office for public-safety and accountability cases
- Defend reproductive rights and state legal authority
About Keith Ellison
Ellison is the incumbent Minnesota Attorney General running for re-election, per the campaign site. His office has worked on insulin cost reductions, consumer robocall protections and opioid settlement funds for the state, per the campaign site.
Ron Schutz
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Fighting fraud
- Consumer protection
- Tackling crime and supporting law enforcement
About Ron Schutz
Ron Schutz is a trial lawyer who was a partner in a national litigation firm and served as its chairman from 2019 to 2024, per his campaign site, and the Republican nominee for Minnesota attorney general.
Secretary of StateSteve Simon (DFL) · Tad Jude (R) · George "Chip" Tangen (Libertarian) · Seth Kuhl-Stennes (Green)
Steve Simon
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Defend democracy and strengthen the freedom to vote
- Push back against election disinformation
- Support small businesses and enhance protections for the most vulnerable
About Steve Simon
Steve Simon is Minnesota's incumbent secretary of state, in office since 2015, and the DFL nominee for another term, unopposed in the August 11 primary. His office oversees elections, business filings, public records, voter information, and civic participation across Minnesota.
Tad Jude
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Require photo identification to vote, per his campaign plan
- Clean up the voter rolls and verify citizenship, per his campaign plan
- Prevent fraud in public programs, per his campaign plan
About Tad Jude
Tad Jude is a former district court judge in the 10th Judicial District and a former member of the Minnesota House, Minnesota Senate and Hennepin County Board, and the Republican nominee for secretary of state.
George "Chip" Tangen
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Nonpartisan administration of Minnesota elections
- Ballot access for independent and minor-party candidates
- Maximizing both voter participation and election security
About George "Chip" Tangen
George "Chip" Tangen is a Libertarian candidate for Minnesota secretary of state who qualified for the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot by nominating petition. An attorney raised in Eden Prairie, he previously served as legislative counsel to U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad in Washington.
Seth Kuhl-Stennes
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Expand voting access and ballot access
- Increase election transparency
- Support civic participation and community accountability
About Seth Kuhl-Stennes
Kuhl-Stennes is a Baudette, Minnesota native who has spent 20 years working across cooperatives, for-profit businesses and nonprofits, including seven years in union roles with UFCW Local 663 and OPEIU Local 12, per the campaign site. He holds a political science degree from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, per the campaign site.
AuditorZack Filipovich (DFL) · Scott Jensen (R) · Jay Reeves (Forward Independence)
Zack Filipovich
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Transparency and accountability
- Strengthening our communities
- Communicating and building trust
About Zack Filipovich
Zack Filipovich is a certified management accountant and nonprofit finance manager and a former Duluth city councilor and council president, and the DFL nominee for state auditor, unopposed in the August 11 primary. The seat is open because Julie Blaha announced in September 2025 that she would not seek re-election. His campaign emphasizes local-government oversight, financial accountability, transparency, and support for communities managing public dollars.
Scott Jensen
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Stop fraud
- Accountability and internal controls
- Compliance and ongoing audits
About Scott Jensen
Jensen is a candidate for Minnesota State Auditor and a family medicine physician with 40 years of practice in Carver County; he previously served in the Minnesota Senate and has served on a bank's board of directors as Audit Committee Chair and on his local school district board, per the campaign site.
Jay Reeves
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Offer independent oversight of public finances
- Strengthen accountability and transparency
- Bring military service experience to statewide office
About Jay Reeves
Jay Reeves is a Forward Independence Party candidate for Minnesota state auditor and an Army veteran. His campaign emphasizes independent oversight, public accountability, and non-major-party representation in statewide fiscal review.
Associate Justice, Supreme Court Seat 1Nonpartisan race · Sarah Hennesy
Sarah Hennesy
Sarah Hennesy serves as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of justices. Hennesy is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Associate Justice, Supreme Court Seat 4Nonpartisan race · Paul Thissen
Paul Thissen
Paul Thissen serves as an associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of justices. Thissen is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Judge, Court of Appeals Seat 1Nonpartisan race · Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Bentley
Elizabeth Bentley serves as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of Court of Appeals judges. Bentley is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Judge, Court of Appeals Seat 7Nonpartisan race · Rachel Bond
Rachel Bond
Rachel Bond serves as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of Court of Appeals judges. Bond is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Judge, Court of Appeals Seat 13Nonpartisan race · Jeanne Cochran
Jeanne Cochran
Jeanne Cochran serves as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of Court of Appeals judges. Cochran is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Judge, Court of Appeals Seat 15Nonpartisan race · Kevin G. Ross
Kevin G. Ross
Kevin G. Ross serves as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of Court of Appeals judges. Ross is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Judge, Court of Appeals Seat 18Nonpartisan race · JaPaul J. Harris
JaPaul J. Harris
JaPaul J. Harris serves as a judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, per the Minnesota Judicial Branch's roster of Court of Appeals judges. Harris is the only name certified for this seat on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's candidate table.
Minnesota voters also decide 1 statewide ballot measure.
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
City boundaries and ZIP codes from the U.S. Census Bureau (2024 Gazetteer, 2020 ZCTA relationships). Candidate fields follow official election office filings; confirm with the Minnesota election office before voting.
