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.

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Voter Guide

Olmsted County Soil and Water Supervisor District 1

SWCDs are local units of government that manage and direct natural resource management programs. Districts work in both urban and rural settings, with landowners and with other units of government, to carry out actions for the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources. They are subject to state statutes and rules as a public body.Use the MN Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing page (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/) to find specific candidate contact information.Watch a candidate forum for this race recorded on September 28, 2026.

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

    Kevin Connelly
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Pernell Meier
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Jesse O'Driscoll
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate to represent voters? (500 characters)

In what ways can the Soil and Water District work to promote pride and ownership in our ecosystem so that each person takes responsibility for the health of our soil and water? (500 characters)

What action can the Soil and Water District take to further protect the quantity and quality of their groundwater supplies? (500 characters)

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Campaign Website http://jessesoilwater.com
Facebook (Full URL) http://facebook.com/JesseforMN/
Campaign Email olmstedcommonsense@gmail.com
I bring a unique angle to the Soil and Water Board; my career path in healthcare and my nature-oriented hobbies of fishing and hiking make me suited to weigh the intersections of water quality and human health. I also have a history of advocacy for better stewardship of waterways, whether Waco Creek or the sensitive Ely region. My education in matters of biology, aquatic ecosystems, and toxicology inform my caution toward potential hazards to our waterways.
We can build on and expand existing voluntary partnerships with our farmers, using agricultural innovations, to help reduce runoff of nitrogen fertilizers into our streams so our children can enjoy recreation and the wonderful biodiversity of our county. We can work with the city to expand availability of garbage cans in our park and trail system to increase ease of and accountability for proper disposal of personal trash.
The Soil and Water Conservation District has a robust well-sealing program and can build upon it, actively seeking the remainder of potentially risky sites that must be sealed. We can facilitate education of the public on proper disposal methods for various medications in order to prevent endocrine disruptors from entering the water supply.
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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.