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

Winona City Council Member Ward 4

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. (Facebook)

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

    Raelynn Peter
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Sarah Phan-Budd
    (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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I have a unique set of experiences that make me well suited for this role. As chair of the general engineering program at WSU, I work closely with folks from local industry to make sure our program addresses their needs. I’m a special needs mother and I’ve served on the county’s health and human services advisory board for nearly three years so I have experience with how local government functions and building a culture of trust and shared decision making, Finally, I have been the vice-chair of our local faculty union and chair of our government relations committee. I am proud that I work with people across the political spectrum. I plan to use these same skills to make sure the City of Winona gets the resources it needs.
My top three priorities are affordable housing, road safety and providing Winona with the services we need in a cost effective way. I will examine zoning and other ways that the city council can make this town more friendly to families, first time home buyers, and young professional renters. I plan to look at all road improvements through the lens of pedestrian and bicycle safety. I will work with Winona County, local non-profits and other organizations to efficiently provide needed services.
I want to make local government easier to engage with by updating the cities web and media presence, continuing to provide remote access to government meetings and reaching out to Winonans of all ages. Winona has such a unique combination of natural beauty, a flourishing cultural scene, a vibrant downtown, and innovative manufacturing and educational sectors. With this wealth of resources comes a diversity of opinions. I will prioritize listening to all my constituents.
The people of Winona demand and deserve clear, transparent and accessible local government. I pledge to push for clarity and accountability for all government decisions. This should be paired with engagement from the people of Winona. I will work to make sure you will know what we are discussing and when we are discussing it, and I encourage all of you ask questions and bring lots of input, so can make important decisions together.
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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.