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

New Hope City Council Member (Special Election)

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.Watch a candidate forum for this race recorded on September 10, 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

    Rachelle Hamilton
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Brock Ray
    (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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New Hope residents deserve a council member who understands the job, asks tough questions, builds relationships that benefit our city, and considers how today’s decisions will affect us years from now.

Since joining the council last year, I’ve worked to be that person, building relationships with residents, legislators, regional leaders, neighboring cities, school officials, and community organizations. These connections help New Hope create opportunities and turn good ideas into action.

My professional work has taught me to listen carefully, untangle complex problems, and build practical solutions. As a DFL-supported candidate, I bring experience, independent judgment, and a commitment to making city government work for everyone.
First, I will keep New Hope affordable for working families, seniors, and middle-class residents by managing tax dollars carefully, supporting affordable housing, and strengthening our commercial tax base. Second, I will defend civil rights, stand with immigrant neighbors, and protect residents from unwarranted surveillance and misuse of personal data. Third, I will advocate for healthy parks, a strong tree canopy, pollinator habitats, and clean water—essential parts of our quality of life.
Good representation starts with listening to people who don’t always feel heard at City Hall. I’ll continue meeting residents where they are: in neighborhoods, apartments, community events, and civic organizations. I will actively seek input from renters, homeowners, immigrants, seniors, young people, and people with disabilities, while pushing for clear communication that makes participation easier. And I will speak out whenever our neighbors’ rights, safety, or belonging are threatened.
Transparency means residents shouldn’t have to guess where to look or who to ask to understand city government. I will keep pushing for proactive, plain-language communication through channels residents actually use. I also want more council discussion to happen openly, where residents can hear the questions and reasoning that shape our decisions. People should be able to follow how a decision is made—not feel that city government is a black box or council approval is merely a rubber stamp.
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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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