Two Stearns County cities with less than 225 residents didn't have mayoral candidates
When Brian Worms moved to Elrosa, he quickly realized that everyone has a role to play in the community.
This past election cycle drove that message home. Elrosa residents were left with a dilemma last fall when they noticed no candidates were listed on their ballots for the mayoral race. That's when former city councilmember Worms stepped up as a write-in candidate.
Like in Elrosa, many small towns across Minnesota need people stepping up to take part in city government. Roughly 70% of Minnesota elections went uncontested in 2024, according to Ballotpedia.
Worms moved to Elrosa, the Stearns County city of 211 people in 2007, partly because it was a convenient middle ground between his hometown of New Munich and his wife's hometown of Brooten. Shortly after moving to the central Minnesota city, he played his part by being on the city council, but Worms said local government isn't the only place people are needed to make a functioning city.
"I like that it's a small town, and someone's got to be there to do some of these things," Worms said. "You need people on the parish council. You need people on the city council. You need people to be on the baseball club. Everything needs someone."
Lake Henry, another small city in Stearns County with about 75 residents, encountered a similar issue as Elrosa. In Lake Henry, former Mayor Dan Liebl, who had first served in the 1990s, is also returning as a write-in candidate.
These two municipalities' lack of candidates demonstrates what is happening across Minnesota, with many candidates running uncontested. This trend is causing concern for political scientists like University of Minnesota Professor Brigitte Seim, Ph.D., who said lackluster candidate pools are worrisome because democracy starts at the local level.
"Having individuals who are engaged in the democratic process is fundamental for a functioning democracy, and a stable democracy," Seim said. "From there, it's also critically important to have local government and government officials that are close to the citizens they serve ... in terms of understanding their directions and policy preferences."
Local democratic engagement came to light during a conversation with South Haven Mayor Norm Bodeker, who won reelection unopposed in the Wright County city of about 180 residents. Bodeker told the St. Cloud Times that democracy still plays an important role in small communities through resident feedback. Because of South Haven's size, he said he knows most of the town's residents, and it's not unusual for someone to stop him on the street to ask a question or share their opinion
However, Bodeker emphasized that having someone in office who proactively understands the community and its residents is crucial. He said challenges often arise when confusion occurs, and having a personal connection with residents can be invaluable in those situations.
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"It takes about 3.2 seconds for news whether it's good or bad to get to everybody," Bodeker said. "So a lot of times not true things pop up and then it circulates, and then you put out fires."
Bodeker takes his job seriously, spending time with his constituents.
"I'll go to their house, and we'll sit down for two hours to give them the correct information," he said. "One time, I walked out with a bag of salmon. Probably three-quarters of people in town have my card, and they're not afraid to call me if I need to come over and explain something. They want to know what's up."
Bodeker also highlighted the challenge of funding utilities and roadway repairs with such a small population to draw taxes from, all while keeping city taxes affordable. He said road repairs are often funded through grants.
This challenge is one reason why Liebl returned as mayor of Lake Henry. He said that building up a small community requires a lot of effort, and ensuring things are done correctly without any setbacks makes the extra time the role demands worthwhile.
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"Somehow we've got to keep our little town going, and it costs money, I hate taxes like most people do," Liebl said. "But, somehow we have to run it as efficiently as possible, even though I think we only (have) 40 households here in town. The population is small, so I guess you try to do what's best."
Corey Schmidt covers politics and courts for the St. Cloud Times. He can be reached at cschmidt@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Rural Minnesota mayors push democracy in Elrosa, South Haven, Lake Henry
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