One contested local race in primary

Voters in Foster County will go to the polls on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in a primary election to select federal, state, county, city and park board representatives.

For cities, the primary is the finals for mayors, council persons and park board members, while state and county winners in the primary move on to the general election on November 5, 2024.

There’s only one contested race on the local ballot this year. That will be for two council seats in the City of McHenry.

The City of McHenry has two at-large council seats open and four people are running: Leon Hoyt, Joshua Dreher, Shane Black and Tara Jones. Meanwhile, incumbent mayor Robyn Sorum is running unopposed for another term.

In the City of Carrington, councilman Doug Smith is running for reelection at large, a four-year term. Trygg Olson seeks to retain his seat in Ward 1 (South of Main Street, four-year term).Tyler Hoggarth is running at large for an unexpired term. No one is running for the open seat in Ward 2 (north of Main Street) currently held by Neil Fandrich.

There are two open seats for at large, four-year terms on the Carrington Park

Board with no candidates on the ballot.

At the Foster County Commission table, three incumbents are seeking re-election with no declared challengers. Pat Copenhaver is running for District 1; David Utke is running for District 3 and Becky Hagel is running for District 5.

The City of Glenfield has four council seats open, including mayor. Running for those seats are Iris Brandt for mayor; Jeff Edland and Kent Johnson are running for the two 4-year terms and Dalton Ehlers is seeking the 2-year unexpired term.

For seats on the Grace City Council, Cole Ellingson and Lynelle Lyman-Hoppe are running with Justin Topp running for Mayor.

There are two seats open on the Grace City Park Board, with Sheri Ellingson and Rayette Lyman running for those seats.

Foster County will have an Initiated Constitutional Measure on the ballot looking to increase the mill levy for road repair.

The Measure will read as follows:

Foster County currently levies a total of up to twelve mills for road levies. The current levying authority beyond ten mills will be expiring and a majority vote is required to increase the levy up to twenty-five mills for Road & Bridge.

Should the Foster County Board of Commissioners have authority to levy up to twenty-five mills in the County Road and Bridge Fund per NDCC Chapter 57-15-06.7(5)?

A YES vote means you approve the measure as summarized.

A NO vote means you do not approve the measure as summarized.

Finally, incumbent Steve Metzger is running for a seat as Director of the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District (a four-year term).

Along with the county measure, there will also be one initiated measure on the primary ballot. It reads as follows:

This initiated measure would add a new article to the North Dakota Constitution. Under the measure, no person may be elected or appointed to serve any portion of a term representing North Dakota in the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House of Representatives if that person could be 81 years old by December 31 of the year immediately preceding the end of the term, and any such person is prohibited from appearing on the ballot.

If a superior law requires age-limited candidates to appear on the ballot in a primary or general election, the candidates’ age on December 31 of the year immediately preceding the end of the term they are seeking, must be printed next to the names of all candidates for all federal legislative offices in future elections. The article also requires the Attorney General to zealously defend Section 4 of the article in the courts of this state or of the United States. The article would become effective immediately upon approval by the voters. If the measure conflicts with any other provision of the state constitution, the measure states it would prevail over the other constitutional provisions.

The estimated fiscal impact of this measure is $1,000,000.

YES means you approve the measure summarized above.

NO means you reject the measure summarized above.

The polling place in Foster County will be located at the Carrington City Library. Polls will be open 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

For more information on the primary election contact Foster County Auditor/Treasurer Ellen Roundy at 652-2441.

An absentee ballot application is printed in this week’s PLUS.