Candidate filing closed for the upcoming Nov. 3 election yesterday, giving voters a first look at who’s on their local ballot.

In the northwest suburbs, city council elections in Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park drew a large number of candidates, leading to an Aug. 11 primary that will trim the field.

Other local filings in the CCX News coverage area drew more incumbents and fewer challengers.

Sitting council members in two cities did not file for re-election, while Robbinsdale voters will hit the voting booth for a city council primary.

Brooklyn Center

Four candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to be Brooklyn Center’s next mayor, triggering a primary.

Current Mayor April Graves decided not to run this year, telling CCX News “It was a difficult decision to make, but it’s just been a long 11, almost 12 years on the council. It’s been a lot to try and balance everything, especially because I’m just one person.”

The four candidates that filed are Alexander Koenig, Teneshia Kragness, Latrecia J. Mayo and Laurie Ann Moore. Voters will advance two from this group past the primary to the November election.

Kragness and Moore currently serve on the Brooklyn Center City Council.

The city council race drew 10 candidates, a field that will be narrowed to four in the primary election.

The Brooklyn Center City Council candidates are:

• Georgette Byers
•  Jacob Carter
• Gretchen Enger
•  Dan Jerzak (incumbent)
•  Nahid Khan
•  Justin McGuire
•  Ebonie L. McMillan
•  Jamal A. Said
•  Mark Viste
•  Aniya White

In 2023, a city employee filed a complaint against Jerzak claiming he created a hostile work environment. Jerzak disputed those claims.

Brooklyn Park

Four familiar candidates are running for mayor in Brooklyn Park. That means two will be eliminated in the primary.

Current Mayor Hollies Winston filed for re-election.

Meanwhile, current Brooklyn Park City Council members Maria Tran and Shelle Page are challenging Winston.

Tran was censured by the council in 2024 for allegedly violating the city’s Respectful Workplace Policy.

She later sued the city and her council colleagues for defamation, among other claims. A judge dismissed that case, but Tran appealed. Court records show that oral arguments are scheduled for July 15. 

Former City Council Member Boyd Morson is also running for mayor.

He was censured twice by the council. The first time was for alleged inappropriate touching of a city staff member; the second was for allegedly creating a hostile workplace.

Morson disputed both claims.

Voters in the East District will also narrow their field from four candidates to two.

The candidates for the East District are:

• Aaron Endris
• Christian Eriksen (incumbent)
• Philip Seton Gaye-Bai
• Allen Miskowiec

The candidates for the Central District are:

• Ashyante Shantell Gill
• Nichole Klonowski (incumbent)

The candidates for the West District are:

• Bernice David-Cooper
•  Tonja West-Hafner

Crystal

Three city council races drew a single challenger in Crystal. 

The candidates for Section II are:

• Forest Eidbo (incumbent)
• Matthew Majerus

The candidate for Ward 1 is:

• Therese N. Kiser (incumbent)

The candidate for Ward 2 is:

• Traci Dawn Kamish (incumbent)

New Hope

New Hope voters will elect three council members in two contests. Absent from the ballot is current Council Member Jonathan London, who has served since 2014. 

For the council member seats (Elect 2), the candidates are:

• Kyle Coryell (incumbent – appointed 2025)
• Duane Maupin
• Jeffrey S. Miller
• Danielle Plantz

For the Special City Council election, three candidates filed, triggering a primary election. Those candidates are:

• Rachelle Hamilton
• Brock Ray (incumbent – appointed 2025)
• Mark Wagner

Robbinsdale

Voters in Robbinsdale will elect council members to two seats. 

In the Ward 3 election, incumbent Mia Parisian did not file for re-election. The candidates are:

• Sofi Villena
• Klaus Weber

In Ward 4, the following two candidates filed:

• Alejandro Caceres Aranda (incumbent – appointed Feb. 2026)
• Melodie Neff

This story was updated June 3 at 5:12 p.m. to show that three candidates filed for the New Hope Special Election, triggering a primary. It was also updated to show that one one candidate withdrew from the Robbinsdale Ward 4 race.

Brooklyn Center | Brooklyn Park | Crystal | New Hope | Robbinsdale