Columbia HeightsNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Columbia Heights Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

Not sure who to vote for? Answer 5 questions and see which candidates agree with you, and why.

Find your match: 5-question quizSee who is on your ballot

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Saturday absentee voting, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

Your houseWhat does your Columbia Heights house pay?A typical Columbia Heights house pays about $9,700 a year. Enter your address for your own number: property tax from the county's record, water, trash and energy, and the money dates ahead.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters choose the mayor and two at-large council members. Councilmembers Connie Buesgens and Laurel Deneen are not on this ballot.

Saturday absentee voting, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

  • Governor
    • Amy Klobuchar · Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    • Lisa Demuth · Republican
    • Steven Young · Green
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • U.S. Senate
    • Peggy Flanagan · Democratic-Farmer-Labor
    • Michele Tafoya · Republican
    • Marisa Simonetti · Independent
    • Rebecca Whiting · Libertarian
    Official candidate list, in its order
  • Also statewideSecretary of State · State Auditor · Attorney General · Associate Justice - Supreme Court · Judge - Court of Appeals
  • U.S. HouseDistrict 5
  • State SenateDistrict 39
  • State House of RepresentativesDistrict 39B (79% of Columbia Heights residents) · District 39A (21%)
  • Statewide measures1 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01License plate readers (Flock)4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council ended the Flock Safety contract on June 8, 2026. The city says seven Flock-installed cameras remain covered until Flock removes them.

What's on the tableWhether and under what rules the city would use license plate reader technology again.

02Property tax levy and budget4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted the 2026 budget and levy in December 2025. The Sept. 28, 2026 agenda listed a proposed 2027 budget, levy and tax rate increase, with a hearing set for Dec. 14, 2026.

What's on the tableThe final 2027 budget and levy, and how to pay for street, Public Works and Central Avenue work.

03Central Avenue (Hwy 65) reconstruction4 sourced facts

Where it standsMnDOT presented its preferred layout at a June 16, 2026 public hearing. The Sept. 14, 2026 agenda listed a resolution approving the city's municipal consent.

What's on the tableHow the city responds to MnDOT's layout, and how it works with MnDOT and businesses on construction effects.

04Renter protections and rental licensing2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council's 2023 goals called for plans on single-family homes becoming rentals, and exemption requests continue to come before it.

What's on the tableWhether to expand renter protections and how to handle single-family rental exemption requests.

05Redevelopment sites (4300 Central, Medtronic)3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Sept. 14, 2026 agenda listed comprehensive plan amendments for the Medtronic site at 800 53rd Ave NE and for 4300 Central Avenue.

What's on the tableWhat may be built on the largest redevelopment sites and how the city supports them.

3 notes on these statements

Rachel James, a current member of the City Council, is running for mayor. Rachel James campaign site

Tom Kaiser, Brie LaPlante and Robert Rogne took part in the League of Women Voters council forum; Judah Scharnhorst was unable to attend but submitted a written statement. League of Women Voters Anoka-Blaine-Coon Rapids Area: 2026 candidate forums

Rachel James and Mark Miernicki are listed as the candidates in the League of Women Voters mayor forum recorded Sept. 17, 2026. League of Women Voters Anoka-Blaine-Coon Rapids Area: 2026 candidate forums

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should Columbia Heights do about license plate reader cameras?

  2. 2. How should the city set its property tax levy?

  3. 3. What should the city tell MnDOT about its Central Avenue rebuild?

  4. 4. How should the city approach renter protections?

  5. 5. What should go on large redevelopment sites such as the Medtronic site?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted3 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.New · How Columbia Heights is runWho runs Columbia Heights, and what it costsWho the city manager is, council pay, whether the city is in the red, and where your property tax goes.Your houseA typical Columbia Heights house pays about $9,700 a yearProperty tax, water, trash and energy, line by line for your address, plus the savings most owners miss.

Key dates

The seat math

2 stay (not up this year): Connie Buesgens, Laurel Deneen3 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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