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

Polk County Commissioner District 2

County commissioners are the county s key policymakers. They oversee the administration of the county, set county budget, and participate in county long-range planning. County services that they oversee include a wide variety of social service and welfare programs, as well as certain public health programs. Learn more about the day in the life of a county commissioner in this video from the Association of Minnesota Counties.

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

    Curtis Knutson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Leonard Vonasek
    (NP)

Biographical Information

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (750 characters)

How would you balance safe and secure elections with voting access? (500 characters)

What do you see as the biggest challenges to mental health and social services in your county, and how would you address them? (500 characters)

What approach would you take to delivering county services while managing the cost of delivering those services? (500 characters)

What role, if any, do you think the county board plays in immigration enforcement? (500 characters)

How do you plan to interact with constituents to best understand the needs of the county? (500 characters)

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If I serve as your County Commissioner, my focus will be on these three things, as well as other areas of need: keeping our communities safe by supporting law enforcement, maintaining the roads and bridges our families, farmers, and businesses rely on every day, and making sure our seniors are treated with the dignity and respect they've earned. These are about protecting our way of life, being responsible with your taxpayer dollars, and making the hard decisions that help families today, in turn leaving a stronger district and county for the next generation. With 14 grandkids, I feel strongly about generational stability and know it is a high priority for this county and the future leaders within it.
In my experience within Polk County, our election officials demonstrate a high level of professionalism. We are provided both mail-in ballots and in-person polling locations. This process appears to work well and I hear very few concerns regarding corruption in our county. My responsibility as a commissioner would be to support an election process that is well-managed and equally transparent.
As the farm economy becomes more challenging, more families are feeling the effects of financial stress and an uncertain future. That includes not only the farm families, but also the people and businesses that support and work indirectly with agriculture. As the need for mental health and social services grows, we need to work to make sure those services remain available, while supporting the local organizations and professionals who help those in need.
Taxpayer dollars should be managed with the same scrutiny families, farms, and businesses use when managing their own budgets. This responsibility comes with asking tough questions, prioritizing essential county services, and making sure every dollar is spent with the county and its residents in mind. It is about spending responsibly, eliminating waste where we can, and continuing to deliver the services our county residents depend on.
Immigration policy is a federal responsibility, not a county one. The county board's role is to support our Sheriff's Office as it carries out its legal responsibilities. When federal authorities lawfully request assistance, local law enforcement fulfills those obligations while continuing to focus on protecting the people of Polk County.
I've lived in District 2 my entire life, so understanding the needs of our county starts with listening to the people I see every day. They're my neighbors, and it was many of them who encouraged me to run. I'll continue to be accessible, listen carefully, ask the tough questions, and represent the people who know this community best.
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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.