Olmsted County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

Three filers for one Rochester-area seat put District 2 on the Aug. 11 ballot, with the top two advancing to November.

• Dave Senjem▾

  Former Rochester City Council member and a 20 year Minnesota state senator, per KTTC. He told KTTC his focus is on costs the state has shifted onto counties, including Medicaid and nutrition programs. He is described by KTTC as the sitting District 2 commissioner, but that could not be confirmed against an official county roster in this review, so incumbency is recorded as false.

  Priorities: Pushing back on state cost shifts for Medicaid and nutrition programs, per KTTC · Affordable housing and environmental sustainability, per KTTC · Mental health infrastructure including a possible new state hospital in Rochester, per KTTC
• Gabe Perkins▾

  Former Minnesota Department of Transportation and American Cancer Society employee, according to KTTC. He told KTTC the county needs 18,000 to 20,000 more homes within the next 20 years.

  Priorities: Building substantially more housing over the next two decades, per KTTC · Scrutinizing data center growth for utility cost, noise and environmental effects, per KTTC
• Karuna Ojanen▾

  Patent attorney of more than 40 years whose clients have included IBM and the U.S. Department of Energy, per KTTC. She told KTTC she wants county assets distributed more evenly into rural parts of Olmsted County.

  Priorities: Fair housing and wages, per KTTC · Environmental preservation and quality of life, per KTTC · Distributing community assets to rural areas, per KTTC

Three filers for the single District 6 seat trigger an Aug. 11 contest; the top two move on to the Nov. 3 ballot.

• Bob Hopkins▾

  Veteran and owner of an Allegra marketing and print franchise in Rochester, according to KTTC, which reports he won a 2024 special election for this seat. Incumbency could not be confirmed against an official county roster within this review, so it is recorded as false.

  Priorities: Affordable housing, per KTTC · Absorbing federal budget effects on SNAP and Medicaid, per KTTC · Public safety and the fentanyl response, per KTTC
• Tawonda Burks▾

  Entrepreneur and community advocate who also sought this seat in 2024, per KTTC. She told KTTC she wants residents to have easier access to county resources.

  Priorities: Easier resident access to county resources, per KTTC · Homeownership opportunities for low income families, per KTTC · Criminal justice and youth prevention work, per KTTC
• Michael Wojcik▾

  Three term former Rochester city council member, according to KTTC, which reported he was unavailable for an interview and drew his stated positions from his blog. KTTC lists housing and transportation costs as his focus.

  Priorities: Affordable housing and transportation costs, per KTTC citing his blog

• Karen MacLaughlin▾

  We haven’t hand-verified this candidate’s profile yet. Enter your ZIP above to see this race on your exact ballot, and cross-check candidates with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.

• Benjamin Zastrow▾

  We haven’t hand-verified this candidate’s profile yet. Enter your ZIP above to see this race on your exact ballot, and cross-check candidates with the official election office linked at the bottom of this page.