With less than three weeks until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the 2024 fall election end date is closing fast.
On the ballot in the Cottage Grove area are several candidates, including for city council, state assembly, and federal offices.
On the ballot this fall is a state constitutional amendment related to the environment, as well as three separate questions related to city parks. The parks questions each seek to address funding at a different city park via a half percent sales tax. Question 1 seeks $17 million plus an amount equal to debt service for Hamlet Park, Question 2 seeks $13 million plus an amount equal to debt service for Mississippi Dunes Park, and Question 3 seeks $6 million plus an amount equal to debt service for the River Oaks Golf Course and Event Center.
The state constitutional amendment question is worded as follows:

Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund Renewal
Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to protect drinking water sources and the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams; conserve wildlife habitat and natural areas; improve air quality; and expand access to parks and trails by extending the transfer of proceeds from the state-operated lottery to the environment and natural resources trust fund, and to dedicate the proceeds for these purposes?

Voters may vote ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ with failure to vote having the same effect as voting ‘no.’
As for ballot candidates, Cottage Grove Mayor Myron Bailey is running unopposed for a fifth term, with Monique Garza also unopposed for a special election council seat.
Contending with each other for the other two council seats meanwhile are three candidates, these being David Clausen, Justin Olsen and Tony Khambata.
Seeking local office at Newport are five candidates, one for mayor and four for council. Uncontested for Mayor is incumbent Laurie Elliott, while the two open council seats have four candidates: Marvin Taylor, Paul Hansen, Josh Schmidt, and Brian Xiong
At Woodbury there are eight candidates for two council seats: Murid Amini, Timothy Brewington, Michael Burke, Dave Hoelzel, Temmy Olasimbo, Benjamin Sherrard, Donna Stafford, and Kim Wilson.
St. Paul Park does not have municipal elections this year.
Running in Grey Cloud Island Township are two candidates for supervisor (Richard ‘Dick” Polta and Jake Jones) as well as one for Treasurer (Keisha Jones).
Running for supervisor at Denmark are three candidates: Peter J. Flock, John Strohfus, and Hassan Sahouani. Each is running for their seat unopposed.
At the County level to the north, voters have a choice between Bethany Cox and Mark Wiens District 3 County Commissioner. District 3 serves Afton, Bayport, Lake Elmo, Lake St. Croix beach, Lakeland, Lakeland Shores, Baytown Township, Oak Park Heights, St. Mary’s Point, Stillwater, Stillwater Township, and West Lakeland Township.
In state level races, the Minnesota Assembly has several races, including for seats 41A, 41B, 47A, 47B, and 53B.
Running for seat 41A are Wayne A. Johnson (Republican) and Lucia Wroblewski (Democratic-Farmer-Labor). Running for seat 41B are Jen Fox (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) and Tom Dippel (Republican). Running for seat 47A are Teresa Whitson (Republican) and Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (Democratic-Farmer-Labor). Running for seat 47B are Ethan Cha (Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Dwight Dorau (Republican). Running for seat 53B are Aaron Brooksby (Republican) and Rick Hansen (Democratic-Farmer-Labor).
Also on the ballot are several judgeships in the Tenth District and state Supreme Court races for both Chief Justice and associate justices.
Running at the federal level for U.S. House District 2 are Angie Craig (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), Joe Teirab (Republican), and Thomas William Bowman (Constitutional Conservative).
Running for U.S. Senator from Minnesota are four candidates: Rebecca Whiting (Libertarian), Amy Klobuchar (Democratic-Farmer-Labor), Joyce Lyne Lacey (Independence-Alliance) and Royce White (Republican).
Running for President and Vice President are Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance (Republican) as well as Kamala Harris and Tim Walz (Democratic-Farmer-Labor). A host of third party candidates are also on the ballot for President and Vice President, the parties being We the People (Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan), Green Party (Jill Stein and Samson Kpadenou), Socialism and Liberation (Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia), Socialist Workers Party (Rachele Fruit and Dennis Richter), Justice For All (Cornel West and Melina Abdullah), and Independent (Shiva Ayyadurai and Crystal Ellis).
The Journal has reached out to the candidates of contested local and state races as well as uncontested mayoral races and will print the answers of those who responded in this week’s issue and the next.