Fergus FallsNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Fergus Falls City Council Election 2026

4 of 8 council seats are on the ballot, with 8 candidates running. Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

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Election Day (Nov 3): 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.

The candidates

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

Voters choose one council member in each of four wards; each ward has two council members. The mayor is not on this ballot.

Election Day · Nov 3

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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.

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.

What the next council decides

012027 budget, streets and taxes4 sourced facts

Where it standsThe city is partway through a multiyear street reconstruction plan, and the 2027 preliminary budget has been submitted.

What's on the tableHow much to raise property taxes, how to share street costs with property owners, and which positions to fill.

02Kmart site and retail redevelopment3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe Port Authority approved a non-binding letter of intent on Sept. 21, 2026 to buy parcels next to the former Kmart building.

What's on the tableFuture City Council and Port Authority actions on financing, the plat and the purchase agreement.

03Housing and tax increment financing3 sourced facts

Where it standsCandidates describe a tight rental market and few developers willing to build.

What's on the tableWhether and when to approve tax increment financing and other incentives for housing.

04Visit Fergus Falls contract and Bigwood Event Center3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council's Committee of the Whole reviewed a proposed contract extension on Sept. 30, 2026.

What's on the tableWhether to approve the amended contract with Visit Fergus Falls.

2 notes on these statements

Laura Job is the only candidate on the ballot for Ward 1, and DuWayne Cookman, Miranda Lape and Scott Rachels are the three Ward 4 candidates. Fergus Falls Daily Journal · Sep 25, 2026

Erick Swanson, listed by the Daily Journal as Erik T. Swanson, did not attend the first Meet the Candidates forum on Sept. 24, 2026, hosted by the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. Fergus Falls Daily Journal · Sep 24, 2026

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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. How should the city handle bids from local contractors?

  2. 2. What role should tax increment financing play in new housing?

  3. 3. How should the city pay for street reconstruction?

  4. 4. What should the 2027 budget do about the unfilled police officer position?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Jim Fish, Laurel Kilde, Mark Leighton, Mike Mortenson4 on this ballot

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

  • Fergus Falls is a Home Rule Charter city, and its council is made up of the Mayor and 8 council members, 2 representing each ward. City of Fergus Falls
  • Council seats in Wards One through Four are up in 2026, each for a four-year term. City of Fergus Falls

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