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

Benson 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. Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-city-councilUse the MN Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing page (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/) to find specific candidate contact information.

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

    Dan Enderson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Nicholas Hard
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Cherie Stielow
    (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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Campaign Email nicholas.hard@protonmail.com
During the third of my life as a resident of Benson, I have grown in the understanding of how things happen. I am comfortable in the assumption that there are balkanized cliques, practiced preferences, and perhaps even some silent deal-making that goes on behind the scenes. It doesn't shock me; it's an open secret that those elements are present in government.

I began as an outsider. I learned what I know about Benson by seeing it unfold in real time. Love me or hate me, I am known to many.

I have not been invited into the cliques. I don't have the pull in my personal life to ride preferences. I don't have leverage to make deals. What I DO have are the desire to pursue positive change, and the drive to improve the community we call home.
My top three priorities:

1) Save the residents of Benson money. We who live here are taxed an obscene amount of money for what we get in return from our government.

2) Bring more money into Benson, from out of town visitors and new business. We need to make Benson a more attractive place for new businesses and new residents. We need to lower taxes and incentivize new faces to stay.

3) Plainly explain to our citizens how, and where, and why THEIR tax money is spent how it is. We deserve it.
When elected, I hope to meet many of the residents of Benson who I have not had the pleasure of meeting so far. I welcome feedback on performance of my own service, outstanding concerns that have not been addressed, or complaints about whatever I could touch in my role as a junior City Councillor.

Most people would find me agreeable, and pleasant enough to talk to; intelligent, and engaged. I understand everyone has their own story, as I have mine. I can do plenty alone, but more together.
I have an incomplete understanding of which cogs move which wheels, but I hope to understand it in short order, and become familiar with all opportunities I have to

1) Save the residents of Benson money

2) Bring more money into Benson

3) Explain to our citizens, how, where, and why their money is spent how it is.

It is my hope that, once elected, any person I stop to greet on the sidewalk feels warmly assured that I am working for THEM as best I can, in my limited capacity.
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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.

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