Below you’ll find the final Part 2 of our Decision 2026 series. Part 1 was published in the October 9, 2026 issue of the Northshore Journal.
The questions asked are: “Tell us who you are, the office you seek, your current occupation, relevant public service or community involvement, and educational background. What core values, leadership style, and personal character traits will guide your decision-making when representing the people of our community? What do you see as the top issues facing your community over the next term, and what concrete steps will you take to address them? Why are you running for this specific office now, and what sets your vision for our local community apart?”
CRYSTAL BAY TOWNSHIP TOWN SUPERVISOR SEAT C
David Abazs
I am running for the Supervisor position on the Crystal Bay Township Board. I have been farming with my wife and family for 38 years here in Finland, MN. More recently, I have been the Executive Director of the Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership for UMN Extension. I have served on many organization boards, including the Crystal Bay Township, Finland Fire Department, the Finland Co-op, the Finland MN Historical Society, and currently serve on the Friends of Finland board, bringing commitment and an even keel to this organization’s reboot. I am also your representative on the Lake County SWCD board.
My values consist of service, ethical decision-making, good and open communication skills, competent financial understanding, and adaptability, which is especially needed in these times. I believe strong leadership comes from being fair, respectful engagement with an ongoing thread of care for each other. At times, it is very precarious and vulnerable to be on the Township Board, but with the current board members, I am looking forward to serving with them to position our meetings to be professional, friendly, and efficient. If we don’t care for each other in all of our work, organizations, and fun gatherings, who are we? We are proud people, living in an amazing town of Finland, building a life for all of us to thrive!
As our population ages, we have people, especially older people, unable to stay in our community. Housing is a challenge not only for our elders but for the young families wanting to make Finland their home. The roads that need to be “good enough” and the infrastructure buoyed by the Finland Co-op, the Church and Community Center, and the local businesses need to be supported by a sound, common-sense Township Board. We can celebrate Finland, Finnish heritage, and continue to diversify the social and economic needs of our community, while maintaining our incredible environment, which we are privileged to live in. The Township’s job is to maintain the roads, support the Community Center and the cemetery, and welcome the voices of our community into the meetings.
I see a path forward to reestablish a calm, thoughtful, and accountable township Board that listens, cares, and leads with intention and love for each other and this community. We are a special community, and everyone deserves respect, a voice, support, and time to follow their passions and interests in this community, whether it is roads, the need for housing, or locally grown food to feed the current and next generations. I want to support the current levy, budget without debt, and work together to fulfill the reputation Finland has in our state, a small and mighty town!
COOK COUNTY AUDITOR/ TREASURER
Braidy Powers-Incumbent, Unopposed
I am running for the position of Cook County Auditor-Treasurer. I’ve held this position since 2000, when I was appointed to fill a vacancy when the previous auditor-treasurer resigned. I first ran for this position in 2002 and have run every four years since then. I have a B.S. in accounting and held various accounting and related positions prior to moving to Cook County in 1991. I was the county financial coordinator from 1991 until I accepted the appointment as auditor-treasurer in 2000. I’ve served on the North Shore Ski and Run Club and Grand Marais Playhouse boards and volunteered for various organizations during my time in Cook County.
I believe honesty and integrity, and a commitment to treating everyone fairly, are critical for this position, and I strive to maintain that. Accountability is necessary to maintain public trust, and I take ownership for my actions and try to learn from my failings. Adaptability is very important because of the wide scope of issues we encounter in this office. I’ve had to become more adaptable and resilient as the pace of change increases. Adaptability and collaboration are important, but it’s equally important to know when you need to hold your ground.
Housing, cost of living, wildfires, and elections are among the top issues facing county residents. The auditor’s office can’t take direct action on most of the issues, but we provide support where we can. We provide administrative support for HRA projects. We work hard to invest county funds wisely, and the revenue generated softens levy increases and provides security for future unknowns. We provide administrative support for the Firewise program and for all departments that take action in wildfire events. We are working with the state, other counties, and local officials to assess potential disruptions and determine what we need to prepare so that our elections run smoothly as they always have.
I’m running again this year because I still feel a strong sense of purpose, and I want to provide a strong foundation for the future. The threats we hear of to the electoral process are also a motivating factor. I want to be where I can help.
LAKE COUNTY COMMISSIONER DIST 1
Colby Abazs
I have been an active community leader and organizer my whole life, always with a focus on creating an inclusive and welcoming space where all people, perspectives, and ideas are valuable parts of learning, growing, and doing together. As a Quaker, I am deeply active in governance for Friends General Conference(FGC), where I have been a champion of governance reform, anti-racism transformation, and young adult and youth programming. Through my role in the Finland Home Solutions, I am working to directly improve access to housing in the area and have previously served as Crystal Bay Town Clerk.
I want to transform Lake County into a place that actively seeks creative solutions for the benefit of seven generations of community. At a fundamental level, I believe all people, as well as our plant and animal relatives, should be able to live a thriving and meaningful life, and government’s role is to support that goal at a community level, prioritizing those most vulnerable. I seek office to offer voters the choice of someone who will work stubbornly towards a more compassionate, uplifting, and just world.
The most pressing issues right now are access to housing, protection of human rights, and resisting capitalist greed that is threatening our precious air, earth, and water. The short-term benefits of extractive industries like mining and data centers are not worth the negative impacts, as we get left with hundreds of years of cleanup. Right now, basic human rights are under threat by our own government, and Lake County needs to be on the side of the people by acting as a shield to protect our most vulnerable. Lake County has an essential role in increasing access to long-term housing through building and septic code reforms and supporting community-centered housing development across the whole county.
Voters should elect me to bring change and a fresh way of governing that seeks creative solutions and treats everyone with respect and dignity. Even if we might disagree on specific issues, you can trust that I will treat you with respect and listen with an open mind, seeking the common ground that we do share and how we can best live together in community. For example, an important mechanism to improve the challenges around housing is to update the septic codes to create flexibility for community-centered housing development.
COOK COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT 1
Patty Winchell-Dahl, Incumbent
My name is Patricia WinchellDahl. I am seeking to represent District 1 on the hospital board. I have lived in Cook County for 55 years, residing in Hovland & Grand Portage. I have worked for our county Human Services in Chemical Dependency advocacy & education support for Grand Portage. I was the first Community Director at Grand Portage’s Community Center, ran their Energy Assistance/Weatherization/Block grants programs, and retired as their Director of Elder Services. I currently serve on the Hospital board & Oshki Ogimaag charter school. I sit on Grand Portage’s Memory Keeper advisory board, as well as the state advisory board for Alzheimer’s research in Native communities.
I believe a community is only as good as what we give back to it. I believe in collaboration, honesty, listening & trust. My role is to listen, to seek out expertize & to be fiscally responsible while meeting our community health needs.
Health care is always changing and costing more. We are a highly regulated industry. As a Critical Access Hospital considered “Frontier” by the federal government, we are tasked with providing the best health care in a very remote and aging community. Costs, services & staffing are my 3 top priorities. It is my job as a board member to help address these issues, making sure our community members can age in place, raise a family here & be healthy doing it.
Keeping our doors open and providing affordable, compassionate services. We need to stay nimble in our responses to the federal and state changes coming. It is a tight rope we walk. Any one thing can derail us. Collaboration and partnerships are a must while keeping our independence. I will continue to weigh needs vs wants. Our population includes many tourists & seasonal members that are relevant to our bottom line. We need to continue to provide a Great EMS, Care Center, and hospital services. Retaining and attracting good employees is a must while providing fair compensation.
I am grateful to have been able to contribute to positive changes NSH has implemented and want to continue to guide those. I am proud that NSH was one of only a handful of Care Centers in the state that did not have one resident die, let alone contract Covid during the public health emergency. That was leadership and work. We have a thriving, service-forward, nimble hospital that provides comprehensive healthcare for Cook County, and I want to continue to serve to help guide its growth into the future. This is my home & I want it to be the best it can be.
COOK COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT 5
Randy Wittala, Incumbent
I’m seeking to represent District 5 in Cook County on the NSH Board of Directors. My professional experience in healthcare began in 1984 with leadership roles in clinical laboratories, regulatory compliance, revenue cycle management and consulting. I helped 400-plus healthcare organizations nationwide to solve complex compliance and revenue capture problems. I retired from that role in 2023. A 21-year resident of Cook County, I’m privileged to have served on the NSH Board since 2016 and the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic Board for 3 years. I hold a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and Medical Technology from the University of Wisconsin Superior.
My core values center around integrity, transparency, access, and quality. These values are essential to build public trust and deliver rigorous adherence to the ethical and legal standards governing our modern healthcare system. Personally, I prefer a collaborative leadership style focusing on consensus building to propel the decision-making process and ensure that all board members focus on what is best for the organization, the employees, and the people we are here to serve.
The top issues facing not only NSH but all rural healthcare providers are our workforce shortage and continuing cuts to reimbursement. Healthcare is first and foremost a high-touch service that requires caring, skilled people to deliver care. We have amazing technology at our fingertips with even more exciting developments coming in the future. However, without a highly skilled workforce and reimbursement that covers costs, providers such as NSH are unable to deliver on our promise of access to compassionate care for all. If elected to serve, I will continue to support and expand our ability to recruit, train, and retain the best and the brightest caregivers and advocate for fair reimbursement. Steps to accomplish that goal will be to seek additional grant funding, expand collaboration with local and regional educational programs, and enhance our ability to collect complete reimbursement.
I am running because I believe that rural healthcare will be facing significant financial and regulatory challenges as a result of recent federal legislation, industry consolidation, and workforce challenges. I’m fortunate to have gained deep institutional knowledge at NSH, which I believe gives me a unique perspective on which direction NSH may go. It is my belief that NSH can and will thrive in the future if we continue to strengthen our local and regional partnerships while being open to discovering new and novel approaches to deliver cost-effective, high-quality healthcare services to our community and visitors alike.
Pat Campanaro
I am a death doula and operate A Better Death LLC, which provides end-of-life care and future planning services. For the past 10 years, I have served as a Small Business Consultant with the SBDC, helping start more than 100 new businesses and securing over $46 million in capital funding for local economic development. I am actively involved in community service and have served as chair of the Public Health and Human Services Advisory Council. I hold a BS in Journalism and English and a Master’s in Leadership.
I am transparent, sincere, and genuinely curious. I lead by example, embodying servant leadership by prioritizing my team’s well-being and needs. I uphold integrity and take full responsibility for my actions. Recognizing that decisions cannot be made in isolation, I actively seek input and build consensus. I am committed to maintaining open communication with my district by attending township meetings, managing a Facebook page, and distributing a monthly newsletter that highlights board actions and invites community feedback.
I am extremely approachable and available for discussion and feedback. I value in-person meetings and will respond to phone, email, and text messages.
I’m running for the board seat because our healthcare environment is changing faster than at any point in recent memory — with rising costs, workforce shortages, and shifting patient needs. Meeting that challenge requires real, forward-looking contingency planning.
I bring more than 20 years of active involvement in Cook County initiatives. As the owner of A Better Death LLC, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when advanced end-of-life care isn’t available nearby. Too many of our friends and neighbors have had to leave the community they love just to access the care they need. That breaks my heart and is a major reason I want to serve.
My focus is twofold: building a resilient strategic plan that strengthens our foundation and keeps patient care at the center, and pushing for meaningful community input through advisory councils and open forums so our neighbors have a voice before decisions are made, not after.
Everyone deserves comprehensive healthcare from birth to the end of life. The sudden closure of the Silver Bay clinic hits close to home and underscores urgent concerns. As a rural, aging community, we’ll bear the heaviest impact from Medicare and Medicaid changes, along with deep cuts to social service grants and aid. Given how fast these developments are moving, contingency planning must begin now—centered on meaningful community input. That input matters because communities often sense slow-moving crises long before they show up in hospital statistics. I envision a future where community input is standard practice, ensuring our needs are heard and addressed.
TWO HARBORS CITY COUNCIL IN WARD 1
Uriah Hefter
I’m Uriah! I am running for Two Harbors City Council in Ward 1. I’m a father of 3 pretty okay kids, a husband to the best wife I know, and a plant manager at SRM Concrete here in Two Harbors. I’ve been on city council for the last 4 years, serving the last 2 as council president. I attended Indian Hills College in Ottumwa, IA, where I received a degree in Culinary Arts.
My values are based in fairness, equal representation, and listening. I may not agree with every decision made, but I’m serving to represent my Ward and all the citizens of Two Harbors. My goal is to vote according to the needs of our citizens.
Housing, job growth, and community resources are at the top of my list. I have proactively moved to help local developers with land acquisition to speed up development, and continue to work with state and county entities to bring businesses to our community. And the development of the lake shore into a park and recreational setting for our citizens and surrounding community continues to be a major focus.
I’m running for a second term to continue to build on what we have accomplished as a city so far. And although I certainly have my own ideas for what we can do to continue to improve our city, I always put the ideas and input of our citizens first. I’m not from here, but Two Harbors is my home. And I will continue to help build our community, so that we can all be proud to call our great city home.
SILVER BAY CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE
Jenny Bjerken
I’m a lifelong Silver Bay resident running for an at-large seat on the Silver Bay City Council. I graduated from William M. Kelley High School in 1999 and earned an associate degree in business administration. I’m a small-business owner, self-taught photographer, and longtime top leader with Young Living. My public service experience includes working for Lake County in administration and serving on the Silver Bay and Lake County Parks & Recreation boards. I also serve on the North Shore Federal Credit Union Board of Directors and volunteered with the Bay Days Committee for 13 years.
I believe good local government starts with listening, asking questions, and doing the homework before making decisions. I’m practical, curious, and not afraid to ask hard questions, but I also believe disagreement can happen with respect. I value transparency, fiscal responsibility, common sense, and treating people fairly. My leadership style is collaborative: I want residents, staff, businesses, and community groups to feel heard and understand the “why” behind decisions. I’m a problem solver by nature, and I’m willing to change my mind when better information is presented. Most importantly, I’ll remember that council decisions aren’t abstract. They affect our neighbors, families, taxpayers, and the community we all share.
Silver Bay’s challenge is balancing progress with affordability and the character that makes people want to live here. We need thoughtful economic development, responsible use of taxpayer dollars, housing options, strong infrastructure, and public spaces that serve residents of all ages. We also need to be realistic about what city government can and cannot do and look for partnerships when a good idea doesn’t need to become a permanent city expense.
I’ll ask questions early, examine costs and long-term obligations before commitments are made, and push for clear communication so residents understand where projects and public dollars stand. I also want us to pay attention to the smaller quality-of-life improvements that matter every day: accessibility, lighting, recreation, bathrooms, sidewalks, and well-maintained community spaces.
My priority is practical progress: pursuing opportunities that genuinely benefit Silver Bay while making sure we can afford, maintain, and sustain what we build.
I’m running because I care deeply about Silver Bay and believe this is the right time for me to serve in a bigger way. I’ve spent my life here, worked in local government, volunteered in this community, and raised my family here. I understand both how government works and how decisions feel on the other side of the counter.
My vision isn’t about turning Silver Bay into somewhere else. It’s about moving forward without losing the small-town character that makes this place home. I will ask better questions, welcome good ideas, involve residents, and make thoughtful decisions that will still make sense years from now.
GRAND MARAIS MAYOR
Tracy Benson, Incumbent
Reelection as Grand Marais Mayor. Within the city council, I have represented the city on the North Shore Management Board, CC EDA, Downtown Business Coalition, City’s Personnel Comm, Past GM Park board member, past member and chair of the CC Community Fund, 17 years as WTIP on-air volunteer, 2nd Harvest Northland Monthly Food distribution, VITA Tax return preparation, and MN election judge.
I spent most of my career at Ameriprise Financial in the financial planning department. We were the advisor’s advisor. Education: Univ of Utah, bachelor’s in American literature, Tax & Estate Planning Paralegal, CFP emeritus.
On the Council, there are five of us for a reason. More voices provide more representation from our community and lead to better solutions. From my Mom: “Sleep on it.”From my Dad: “Use your head and you’ll be fine.” Share a brief moment with the dog, or your best friend, to react… then carefully create a plan to act. Listen, absorb new information; be open to changing your stance and your plan.
Priorities:
o Wastewater Treatment plant renovation, which is the Council’s #1 priority.
o Coast Guard Station return to the City. Create a long-term plan for the land and building. Personally, I would prefer scientific research to protect the Lake that watches over us. It could provide learning opportunities for our community and visitors and blend well with the other treasured public land that surrounds the Station.
o Continued emphasis on cooperative work with the County. Create shared and prioritized initiatives.
o Tip the scale on housing availability for those who want to reside here by retaining existing homes for residents to live in. We can’t build our way out of our housing needs.
This requires revamping our zoning in certain areas of the city.
o Determine what we want our community to look like – it’s becoming a race to the top for lake views. We have promoted small lot sizes that don’t accommodate space for vegetation, off-street parking, nor storage space. It promotes a vertical build and can aggravate water runoff mitigation. We need a balanced residential landscape to maintain a variety of lot sizes. This is also dealt with through zoning.
o East Bay erosion mitigation. Continuing our work with the Army Corps of Engineers.
o Better manage our existing short-stay rentals. We need to establish in-house administration to implement the resolution we passed in 2024.
To see through the Council’s current priorities along with other initiatives that are in process…along with whatever comes at us. It would mean everything to me to see our prior Coast Guard Station space have a secure future for our community and visitors to enjoy as they experience our public Harbor.
GRAND MARAIS COUNCIL MEMBER
William B. Lovass, Incumbent
Due to circumstances, Mr. Lovaas was interviewed by telephone on the four questions we’re asking candidates.
William (Billy) Lovaas was appointed to the Grand Marais City Council in February of 2024 to fill a vacancy when Councilor Aaron Carlson resigned. He seeks election to that office.
In addition to his council service, Billy has worked at North Shore Health since 2018. Born and raised in Grand Marais, he graduated from Cook County High School and later graduated from the U of M Duluth in 1991 with a major in Geography and a minor in Geology.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes in Grand Marais in a short time,” Billy said. “I believe in a fair and balanced process on issues before the council,” he added.
Honesty, integrity, and transparency are the values he said that he brings to the position. “I’m not by nature a boundary pusher,” he said. “I listen, try to balance all the interests, and make good choices for development.”
Billy values green space, and he wants to stay on the council to help determine how the Coast Guard property is brought under city control.
Lovaas’s top concern is infrastructure. “We need to be mindful and good stewards of what we have,” he said. His top concern is the capacity of the city’s aging wastewater treatment plant and water system, especially with growth in housing units and an increase in short-term rentals.
Housing affordability is also at the top of his list of issues facing Grand Marais.
