By Maya Betti
As the 2026 election cycle approaches, the Northfield City Council is focusing not just on voters, but the candidates themselves.
With the candidate filing period set for May 19 through June 2, City Administrator Ben Martig said at the council’s April 14 work session that the city is already “ramping up” efforts to provide clear information to prospective candidates, aiming to better educate those unfamiliar with local government.
In November, three seats will be on the ballot:
- Council Member At-Large, currently held by Davin Sokup
- Council Member for Ward 1, currently held by Kathleen Holmes
- Council Member for Ward 4, currently held by Jessica Peterson White
A map of Northfield’s ward boundaries is available on the city’s website. As of April, council members have not formally announced whether they are running for reelection.
Martig said the city’s goal is to ensure candidates understand the structure and the general responsibilities of local government before campaigns intensify, having encountered some issues in the past candidate’s gaps in knowledge.
“Most people, I think, are in tune with things,” Martig said. “But sometimes I’ve had candidates not even really understanding what the city government specifically does.”
In order to file, a candidate must be qualified to vote, at least 21 years old when they assume office and be a resident of the city and or the ward they wish to represent according to the city’s website.
Under the proposal discussed, the city would expand its candidate outreach beyond basic filing materials, which are typically made available the week before May 19. This could include one or two in-person informational sessions, printed guides and online resources explaining city innerworkings, relevant projects — of which the city currently has 27 — and council responsibilities.
While the city first offered an in-person information session after the 2024 primaries, council members had mixed reactions to its effectiveness.
“That meeting to me was really more about information and processes and stuff like that,” Council Member Chad Buemer said. “The questions, to me, were more of an email.”
Beumer, as well as other members, expressed that a video format could be more effective for reaching a wider pool of candidates.
As Council Member Jessica Peterson White noted, some potential candidates might feel more comfortable reaching out to city staff with questions than others.
“They might have relationships that would make them feel comfortable contacting city staff with questions, or they might just have kind of an existing position in the community or other privilege that might make them feel more comfortable doing that,” Peterson White said. “Whereas less traditional candidates, candidates that are perhaps from marginalized groups or who don’t have the same privileges or connections, are much less likely to approach city staff.
After the candidate filing period closes, absentee voting for the Aug. 11 primary begins June 26 and runs through Aug. 10. The state general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, with absentee voting beginning Sept. 18 and continuing through Nov. 2..
Maya Betti is a KYMN news intern and an Executive Editor at the St. Olaf Messenger. Contact her at news@kymnradio.net
