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

Clay County Commissioner District 4

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.Watch a candidate forum for this race recorded on September 22, 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

    Julian Dahlquist
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Scott Steffes
    (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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Campaign Website http://www.votedahlquist.com
telephone 7014290275
Facebook (Full URL) http://www.facebook.com/votedahlquist
Campaign Email julian@votedahlquist.com
•Address staff needs. If staff are overworked and undercompensated, that will only create a foundation for much more problems down the road. Staff deserve good benefits, fair wages, and all of the necessary resources.

•Fight to preserve social service programs. I don't believe in slashing programs that help vulnerable members of our community. If a program has a net positive impact for our county, it should be fully funded and supported.

•Invest in infrastructure. Our infrastructure requires maintenance, and I want to make sure we’re investing in those projects. If a project is worth doing, it's worth doing well.
I believe voting is a fundamental right for every voting age citizen, and should be as accessible as possible. Minnesota elections are safe and secure, and we should do what we can to increase access to the ballot box, and promote greater participation in the democratic process.
Mental health issues affect everyone, but for far too many – especially in our rural areas – access to adequate mental health care services is challenging. As a lifelong Clay County resident, I know when our friends and neighbors are experiencing a crisis, we rally around to get them the help they need. I want to expand access in Clay County, and promote those services, while trusting our experts on how to best serve our residents who are struggling.
If there is a major shortfall in funding, I see myself lobbying and working closely with our state legislature to try and bring in that supplemental funding for our local needs. Revenue streams should be looked at, too. My focus will be on helping provide the best services for Clay County while maintaining affordability for our residents.
I am lucky to know so many amazing individuals from our immigrant community, and I'm better for it. I know that local law enforcement is regularly overworked and understaffed, and I just don't see a calculus for our County Board of Commissioners to get involved with immigration matters except to affirm our commitment to equal protections for all members of our community.
Doorknocking, phone calls, office hours, and local business visits. A public official should be just that – a servant for the public. I believe in hearing concerns from folks firsthand, to find what's working, and what might need more focus and attention.
telephone 7012613717
Campaign Email foof716@yahoo.com
Mental health and Chemical dependency, property taxes, infrastructure and public safety. All three of these priorities continue to be large strains on society and budgets. There have become fewer and fewer beds for Mental health and chemical dependency so people are unable to seek treatment. Property taxes continue to rise and are hurting senior citizens trying to stay in the homes they own. We need to find new revenue sources to bring these taxes down. The cost of infrastructure continues to rise because of the cost of materials. I grew up being able to safely ride my bike to town from our farm. I believe we all should be able to walk our streets without being in fear.
Clay County has many ways to vote including mail in voting, early in person voting and voting on election day. I feel the elections are secure and safe in Clay County and that there are several ways you can vote.
Lack of beds for treatment. Sometimes it takes several months for an individual to get into a treatment facility. When a facility is found it is usually a long distance away. We need to work with legislators to provide more facilities for treatment.
I would use data driven prioritization and community feedback to align county spending. Eliminate redundant or underperforming programs. Us resident surveys to align county spending with community priorities.
The County Board plays a minimal role in immigration enforcement. We do not have the authority to enforce those laws, but we do set budgets and enter into detention contracts with the federal government to house federal inmates at times. I would ask for recommendations from the County Sheriff and County Attorney on how any immigration enforcement would be handled or not handled.
I would like to meet with people to know what their concerns are within the county. I am open to conversation about what they feel is working or not working within county government.
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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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