Voters to decide on several local races during primary election

Masaki Ova, The Jamestown Sun, N.D.
·3 min read

Apr. 13—JAMESTOWN — Voters will choose from many candidates for several local races in Jamestown and Stutsman County.

Races for Jamestown City Council, Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission and Jamestown Public School Board will be decided at the primary election on June 11.

Voters will also decide which candidates for Stutsman County Commission will be on the ballot of the general election scheduled for Nov. 5.

Four people are running for three seats on the Jamestown City Council. The City Council seats are four-year terms.

Councilman Dan Buchanan is not seeking reelection.

Incumbents Brian Kamlitz and David Schloegel are seeking reelection for their second terms. Kamlitz and Schloegel were elected in 2020.

Pam Phillips and Robert "Bob" Toso are seeking election to the City Council. Phillips has served three terms on the City Council — the most recent from 2016 to 2020. Toso is seeking his first term.

Four people are running for two four-year seats on the Jamestown Parks and Recreation Commission.

Incumbent Mark Ukestad is seeking reelection. Anton Goss, Ryan Harty and Joshua Meade are seeking their first terms on the commission.

Commissioner Ron Olson is not seeking reelection.

Three people are seeking three city seats on the Jamestown Public School Board. Jamie Bear, Diane Hanson and Gayle Nelson hold the three city seats.

Current board member Aaron Roberts is running uncontested for the rural seat on the school board.

Bear is seeking her first full term on the school board. Bear was appointed in March 2023 to serve the remainder of Roger Haut's term after his death. Owen McKenna and Jacob Meier are seeking their first terms on the school board.

George Barnes, Paul Belzer, Mike Hansen and current Commissioner Levi Taylor have filed completed petitions for two seats on the Stutsman County Commision that are four-year terms. Those seats are currently held by Mark Klose and Joan Morris. Klose and Morris are not seeking reelection.

Amanda Hastings is running uncontested for the two-year unexpired term. The seat is currently held by Taylor.

Up to four candidates seeking the four-year terms in the June 11 primary election will advance to the general election. Hastings will advance to the general election.

Voters will decide on state senators and representatives from even-numbered legislative districts in the 2024 election cycle, which includes District 12. The seats are four-year terms.

Sen. Cole Conley and Reps. Mitch Ostlie and Bernie Satrom, all R-Jamestown, currently hold the seats.

Democrat Olivia Schloegel, Jamestown, will challenge Conley for the District 12 Senate seat.

Ostlie and Satrom are the only declared candidates for the seats on the House of Representatives.

For the District 12 races, all declared candidates will advance to the general election.

Candidates who receive the highest number of votes within their political party designation at the June 11 primary election will automatically be placed on the general election ballot, according to the North Dakota Secretary of State's website.

In a primary election, voters may only choose candidates from one political party.

If a ballot has votes with more than one political party, those votes will not be counted, but all other votes on the no-party candidates and measures will still be counted.

Voters will consider one seat for a six-year term for the Southeast Judicial District.

Bradley Cruff is seeking reelection for the seat based out of Wahpeton.

For the lone Southeast Judicial District judgeship seat, the two candidates receiving the most votes in the primary election will be placed on the general election ballot.

This race is uncontested, and Cruff will advance to the general election ballot.