Voter Guide

Find Your Races

Brooklyn Center City Council Member Choose 2

As local legislators who sometimes have executive power, council members can propose ordinances, set administrative policy, and authorize the budget proposed by the mayor. They oversee all city activities, including city services, programs, licensing, and public safety. Mayoral appointments to city government typically require council approval. Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-city-councilUse the MN Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing page (https://candidates.sos.state.mn.us/) to find specific candidate contact information.A candidate forum for this race is available at https://ccxmedia.org/cities/brooklyn-center-city-council-candidates-forum/. More MN forums are available at https://www.lwvmn.org/2024-candidate-forums.

Voter Guide

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Georgette Byers (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

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Jacob Carter (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

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Gretchen Enger (NP)

Biographical Information

telephone 6124315052

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

When I make a decision, I don't come to it with my mind already made up. I show up, I pay attention, and I wait for the facts - and if new information changes my mind, I say so. In 2024 I lost my council race by 12 votes and kept showing up anyway, at commission meetings, budget sessions, and community events, because that's not a campaign strategy, it's just who I am. Brooklyn Center deserves a council member who treats every vote like it matters to the people living with it. I want to bring that same approach to policy and the levy, where the real decisions happen.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

My priorities: public safety, fiscal responsibility, and smart growth. Safety means a fully staffed police department, a 24-hour fire duty crew, and crisis response we actually measure - not just fund. Residents already pay more than most comparable cities - each budget season on the Finance Commission, I ask hard questions about where that money goes. And growth means the right development, not just any development - development that sustains itself and grows our tax base.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

I know I don't look like every resident here, and I take that seriously. My job isn't to assume I understand every experience - it's to meet people where they are. I'll keep showing up at community events, stay accessible to residents, and return every email and phone call - not just during election season. Representation isn't something I already have - it's something I keep earning.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Good government is a skill, not a talking point: digging into the documentation, verifying it against the facts, and staying accountable to results, not just intentions. As Finance Commission Vice Chair, I served on the panel that selected our new auditor and helped draft updates to the Purchasing Policy after audits flagged gaps - work now headed to Council for approval. I'll explain my reasoning on every vote and work to be sure accountability is achieved.

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Dan Jerzak (NP)

Biographical Information

Campaign Website http://www.danjerzak.com/
telephone 763-260-4366
Campaign Email dan@danjerzak.com

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

I worked for the City of Brooklyn Center for 17 years, in various positions ranging from a property code specialist to a certified Crime Prevention Specialist at the police department. My qualifications and experience set me aside from all the other candidates. I understand and know how our city and government functions. I have been a council member for nearly four years and served a four-year term on the charter commission.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

My top three priorities are public safety, fiscal responsibility, and smart development. Public safety comes first: our residents, their families, and local businesses all need to feel safe. I will keep pushing to fully fund our public safety departments. Second, I will demand fiscal responsibility, using taxpayer resources wisely to deliver quality core services. Third, I will keep evaluating development proposals that responsibly grow our revenue and give residents the best return.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

My 17-year employment for the city of Brooklyn Center as an Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, Property Code Specialist and as a Certified Crime Prevention employee required me to engage daily with our residents. As a council member I have attended multiple community events, held open office hours and met with countless businesses and residents. I return emails, calls and encourage our residents to get involved.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

I have been a staunch advocate of open and transparent government. I encourage resident participation and demand that our city government is open and honest in its business. I was one of the council members who promoted the return to televising our work sessions. Frequently, I will explain how I reach a decision on a vote and announce this ahead of my vote. If reelected, I will continue to practice these core principles.

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Nahid Khan (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

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Justin McGuire (NP)

Biographical Information

telephone 6127470374
Campaign Email McGuire4BC@pm.me

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

I grew up on food stamps and Medicaid—knowing what financial insecurity feels like drives the work I do. Over the past 7 months, I've been on the streets of Brooklyn Center responding to the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge, coordinating mutual aid to keep families safe, housed and fed amid immigration enforcement pressure.

I'm fighting so neighbors don't get displaced or criminalized for trying to survive. My platform delivers practical solutions to real problems our city faces.

I've seen what works when people organize together. Brooklyn Center needs council members who've rolled up their sleeves in crises—not just talked about them. I bring that experience, plus the discipline to turn community trust into concrete policy

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Affordable Housing — Working families deserve homes they can afford without sacrificing necessities. I'll fight for housing residents can afford. Thriving Downtown — Empty storefronts shrink our tax base, pushing costs onto homeowners. I'll support mixed-use development to grow revenue and ease property tax pressure. Community-Led Safety — Not every problem needs a police response. I'll fight to fulfill the Dante Act and put in place the right response to every emergency.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Starting by going door to door and talking to community members where they are. If elected, I'll push for expanding public comment on city business and ensure every resident has an opportunity to be heard.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

I'll start by working with city staff to overhaul the city website and make it easier for any resident to access public information. I'll fight for increased accountability for city employees, including the police, and make it easier to access data that has been historically gated behind fees and red tape.

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Ebonie L. McMillan (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

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Mark Viste (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

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Aniya White (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.

What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)

Candidate has not yet responded.