SLEEPY EYE — Councilor at Large Nate Stevermer kept his seat Tuesday, receiving 967 votes in the Sleepy Eye City Council race.

Challenger Rajeana Wick got 297 votes (23.39%). There were six write-ins. Election results are unofficial. The Sleepy Eye City Council election will be canvassed at noon, Wednesday, Nov. 16 in the city council chambers.

Stevermer said the Sleepy Eye EDA (Economic Development Authority) has programs available to potential and current businesses to help them get up and running or improve their existing operation.

“Sleepy Eye has low taxes and utility fees for a city of our size,” said Stevermer.

He added that housing, daycare and worker shortages are inter-related issues.

“If you fix the first two, you will potentially fix the third,” Stevermer said. “To do that, the city has partnered with Alliance Building Corp. to build a 44-unit market race apartment complex.”

Stevermer said budgets are another challenge.

“With record inflation, household budgets are tight. We need to provide services citizens expect without burdening them with high taxes. We’ve been able to do that so far and will continue to do that moving forward.”

Stevermer has been on the city council for 12 years and said he wants to continue playing an active role in city growth and development.

“Sleepy Eye is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I want to be part of making it even better,” he added.

A retired nurse who moved to Sleepy Eye a number of years ago to be near a friend she worked with as a nurse, Wick said she’d like to see more people involved with the city council.

“People need daycare near their workplace to save money and time,” said Wick.

“Sleepy Eye has a rich, wonderful history to build on,” she added. “I’d like to see Sleepy Eye become a destination city. A place where people want to visit, dine, and shop.”

Wick said an exchange of ideas between the community and city council would be good.

“This is called democracy,” she added.

In Winthrop, Robert “Rob” Edwards got 459 votes for mayor. There were 28 write-ins. Jennifer O’Connor topped six city council candidates with 315 votes. Dawn M. Wickenhauser followed with 245 votes and Megan Schmidt 300 in a race for three open seats. Following were Brent Roiger 214, Gordy Grack 205 and Glen Steiner 161. There were seven write-ins.

Josh Bunkers got 359 votes for Fairfax mayor. James J. Schroeder got 240 votes, Tina Castillo 224 and Craig Nachreiner 193 votes in a race for two city council seats.

Janis Weikle got 268 votes for Hector mayor. There were 96 write-ins.

Luke Krueger got 216 votes and Amy Hollan 203 votes for two Hector City Council seats. Following were Gerald “Jerry” Johnson 107, Jerome Schueller 106 and Steven Scholla 91 votes. There were six write-ins.

Matthew Rath got 214 votes for Buffalo Lake mayor. There were six write-ins.

Ryan Beich got 142 votes and Sam Pettit 125 votes for two city council seats. Jay Squibb got 112 votes.

Jason Peirce got 111 votes and Johnny Gustafson 56 votes for Stewart mayor. There were 20 write-ins.

There were 20 write-ins for Brownton mayor. Andrea Matheny got 218 votes and Curt Carrigan 179 votes for two city council seats. Douglas A. Block got 145 votes. There were 15 write-ins.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@

nujournal.com).