Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
  • Build your ballot before voting. Print or email the information to use as a reference when you actually vote.

We do not save your information; it will be lost when you leave this page. Only candidates that appear on your ballot will be listed. Additional information may be available for your area so be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page for other voters’ guides.

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Voter Guide

Dayton City Council Member {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

As local legislators who sometimes have executive power, council members can propose ordinances, set administrative policy, and authorize the budget proposed by the mayor. They oversee all city activities, including city services, programs, licensing, and public safety. Mayoral appointments to city government typically require council approval.Voting in local elections is important - learn more here: Why Vote for City Council

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

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    Anthony J. Albright
    (NP)

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    Stephanie Henderson
    (NP)

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    Shawn Luther
    (NP)

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    Sara Van Asten
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

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As voters consider their choices in the upcoming election, it’s essential to evaluate each candidate’s qualifications, vision, and commitment to public service. I stand out for my consideration of the following issues: 1. My military service shows that I am committed to community service. I am not interested in money or power. I don't care to be the "leader" of the community. I want to represent the community instead. 2. I have a vision for the economic growth of the city that weighs the needs of historic residents and the new residents. 3. I am committed to funding that vision with a variety of sources, not all of which will require raising taxes. 4. I believe that it is vital for the city to hear and value public opinion.
1. Long-term infrastructure plans, including roads, bridges, and traffic studies. 2. Transparency in local government actions and plans. 3. Finding fiscally responsible ways to add community ammenities.
I plan to interact with people on social media, maintain my website with blog posts about my role on the council, and make myself available at city events. I also plan to listen to anyone who communicates with me in good faith and aid in the publication of town news.
I will increase the amount of time available for public comment at city council meetings. I will give longer lead time for distributing council meeting plans/agendas. I will keep many open lines of communication in order to allow the public to get in touch with me.
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Campaign Website http://https://saravanastenfordaytoncc.wordpress.com/
Contact Phone 6128046833
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.facebook.com/sara.asten
Campaign Email SaraVanAsten464@gmail.com
As a mathematician I am good with numbers and budgets, excel at problem solving, and understand complex systems and scenarios. As a math teacher I am good at explaining those things to others and helping them sort through confusing and sometimes intimidating problems to find answers. I have a variety of leadership experiences and have learned how to view situations from multiple perspectives to find win-win solutions. I will represent the entire City of Dayton, not myself, not any individual or neighborhood, but our entire community. Often this means that the best results are not any one person’s ideal but are within the range of tolerance for everyone and in the end turn out to be the best option for the overall community.
Understand our budget & keep it low while meeting needs. Why were past decisions made? What can or cannot be altered? Balance minimizing development with the reality of a growing population - following our staging/road plans, updating them to match reality, & exploring alternative options for housing & land use. Prioritize big projects based on overall community desires, not just the loudest voices. Balancing conflicting needs with a limited budget requires transparent prioritization.
I will be available via phone, email, and social media as well as in-person at City Council Meetings, Open Houses, and other events. It is also vital to actually hear and respond to people when they reach out. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard, even if in the end the decisions made are not the ones they wanted. Any member of council should be able to explain why they voted the way they did and be willing to change their minds when they hear or learn something new.
Any meeting that can be open to the public must be. Council Members should be able to explain why they voted the way they did and be willing and able to change their minds. Only in communicating with one another, the community, and experts like the City Engineer or Fire Chief can we understand the full picture and make the best decisions. When people come in with fixed positions that are unmovable no matter what they learn they are representing something other than the best interest of the City.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

VOTE411 is brought to you by the League of Women Voters Education Fund and League of Women Voters of Minnesota Education Fund. The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any political party or candidate for office.