WILLMAR — While all three incumbents of the Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners whose seats will be on the 2020 election ballot are running for re-election, only one is running unopposed.
Roger Imdieke of District 4, was the only candidate to file for election for that seat. District 4 is the northeast quarter of the county including the towns of Spicer, New London and Regal.
District 2 will have incumbent Steve Ahmann running against Steven Gardner. District 2 includes most of the eastern half of the city of Willmar.
Ahmann has a background in construction and also served on the Willmar City Council prior to his 2016 run for County Board. According to his profile on the county website, he started his construction company in 1986.
Gardner currently serves on the Willmar Planning Commission and has held the position of chair for the past three years. He also served on the Vision 2040 Leadership Design Team, as board chair of the Humane Society of Kandiyohi and Meeker Counties and helped create the Lions Dog Park as part of a citizen committee.
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The race for the open seat in District 5 will require a primary election on Aug. 11, as three candidates filed — Duane Anderson, John O. Cunningham and incumbent Harlan Madsen. District 5 encompasses the southern half of Kandiyohi County including the of cities of Atwater, Kandiyohi, Raymond, Prinsburg, Blomkest and Lake Lillian.
Anderson is a farmer from Lake Lillian. He currently serves as the chairman of the East Lake Lillian Township Board and has operated his family farm in the township for more than 30 years. He has a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics and a minor in soil science from the University of Minnesota.
Cunningham is a farmer in Atwater and will be running for his second time for the District 5 seat, having run first in 2010. He serves on the Farm Service Agency County Committee for Kandiyohi County, which provides administration for the FSA programming in the county. Cunningham also served 15 years on the ACGC School Board and still coaches basketball and baseball at the district. He is also active at Bethel Lutheran Church in Atwater, serving as church council president.
Madsen is running for his eighth full term on the Kandiyohi County Board. He was first elected in 1994. He is a rural farmer in Lake Lillian.
The general election is Nov. 3.
