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.
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Voter Guide

Anoka City Mayor

The role of city mayor can vary from city to city. However, the mayor is usually the head of the city and may represent the city in front of other government bodies. A mayor also usually has a role in proposing a city budget that is approved by the city council. The budget influences the services the city provides to its residents. Mayors sometimes are voting members of city council, and in some cities the mayor is in charge of city council meetings.Voting in local elections is important - learn more here: Why Vote for MayorWatch the latest candidate forum for this race here (September 15, 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

    Phil Rice
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Erik Skogquist
    (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)

If elected, what strategies will you use to ensure transparency, accountability and ethical conduct in city government under your leadership? (500 characters)

How will you engage with residents to solicit feedback, involve them in decision-making processes, and ensure their voices are heard? (500 characters)

How will you approach public safety and community policing to ensure the well-being of all residents? (500 characters)

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Being Mayor for the past 2 years has been an honor that comes with great responsibility. My focus has been being approachable, visible, and responsive to citizens, businesses and visitors. This increases my understanding of community needs whose viewpoints then guide the council in shaping the Anoka we all share.

I am also running to build on what the current council has been able to accomplish. For more than a decade, prior councils drained carefully set aside funds and neglected maintenance. That trend is being reversed by fixing street, building trails, and updating parks, while bringing in new revenue from property development and enterprises like our dispensary so not every new dollar gets squeezed from the same property taxpayers.
Keep Anoka affordable holding taxes and utility rates in check with new revenue from property development and expanding city enterprises while expanding free activities and public spaces.

Keep Anoka safe and welcoming through support of public safety staff with the addition of a social worker to help with well checks and homelessness, mental health & addiction issues.

Keep the proposed jail expansion from harming our historic downtown and neighborhoods by advocating for our unique city.
We recently updated our Code of Ethics and created a Code of Conduct Policy. These apply to all city elected and appointed officials and as Mayor it is my job to make sure everyone follows them.

Oftentimes that means asking tough questions and pushing for needed change. Unfortunately Anoka has had a reputation as a city long governed under a good old boy set of rules. This resulted in the interests of many taking a backseat to those of a few using power for personal benefit. That needs to stop.
I think the viewpoints of the council should represent the citizens that they serve and we should engage with the community to try to understand what they want out of their city.

I spend a lot of time listening and reaching out to folks however they like to communicate and to make that connection so they have someone they can come to when they have an issue. I do my best to bring a perspective that is often missed. I am there for people and promise to keep being there if re-elected Mayor.
Community safety is a top priority and Anoka is blessed to have a first class police department. Making sure they have the necessary resources and training is important but being woven in the fabric of our community is where real trust and safety begins.

Public engagement through our many special events is invaluable. Also, we will be bringing in an embedded social worker to compliment the work our officers do every day with the goal to focus on mental health, homelessness, and addiction.
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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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