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.

Start Over

Voter Guide

Windom City Council Member Ward 2

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.

  • Candidate picture

    Scott Lee Benson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Mari A. Harries
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Loren Liepold
    (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)

{_btnLabelFor(compare1, _isInSelection(compare1))}
{_btnLabelFor(compare2, _isInSelection(compare2))}
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Campaign Website http://lorenforcitycouncil.wordpress.com/
Contact Phone 7017392176
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564058676702
Campaign Email loren.liepold@gmail.com
I’ve known and loved Windom for decades. We grew up in the area. We were away for a while, but kept in touch through visits, family & friends. We’re back to stay. I see towns of similar size & there’s an energy I don’t see in Windom- summer-long events, growing downtowns, communities taking a chance. I’ve worked with community events, visited towns in states all around us & seen how others celebrate holidays and special times. Professionally, I’ve spent my career working with a wide range of people, ideas, and social values, while finding common ground. In other communities we’ve lived through major floods. I’ve bagged on the dikes. I’ve seen a city stand up after being knocked down & rebuilding better. This is what I bring to the position.
Newcomers- An ’outside eye’ is important. I shake my head at some of the choices made to house new citizens in Windom.

Flood & Disaster Planning- We owe it to all citizens to plan well for the future and find better solutions for our flooding challenge. I’ve seen what can be done to turn a flood problem into a city asset.

City Information & Communication- Information needs to be easily found and accessible, whether it be learning the sights around town, civic information, or community alerts.
I’m comfortable talking & working with all kinds of people. A good part of theatre is meeting with a lot of different folk (with strong opinions), and learning quickly how to size them up & find common threads.

We’re not all going to have the same ideas (and shouldn’t), but we need to work together to find solutions. I may not always agree with some constituents’ views, but I will listen to what is said, & try to shape my work on City Council with my constituents in mind.
Government isn’t just people sitting on the dais at the meetings; it’s all of us. It is keeping an educated public, through our schools, through our library, at meetings & forums. It is the arts, challenging government in script, sculpture & song.

Assuming that ‘everybody knows’ is a guarantee for an opaque government.

Transparency comes through an active press, and an up to date online presence where civic information can be found. If pages aren’t maintained, we become a little more opaque.
Powered by League of Women Voters Education Fund

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.