Winona City Council Member at Large
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.mn.gov/) to find specific candidate contact information.Watch a candidate forum for this race recorded on September 10, 2026. (Facebook)
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Jerome Christenson
(NP)
Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)
If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)
How do you plan to engage with and represent all members of our diverse community?(500 characters)
What steps will you take to ensure transparency and accountability in city government? (500 characters)
Well, since no one filed against me, I am the only candidate. This is embarrassing. I thought that in four years I'd annoyed someone sufficiently to run against me, and, seriously, it speaks ill of the health of our system when incumbents go unchallenged.
I will continue to advocate for policies and programs to assure that all members of the Winona community can have a good place to live, a good place to work, and a good place to play. These are the priorities that frame my approach to all issues the city council will be called upon to resolve. The health, safety, and quality of life of every one of us is -- and will be -- my top priority.
For almost 40 years I made a career out of listening to people. That’s what journalism is – listening to what folks have to say; hearing what concerns them, trying to understand what is important to our community. I do my best to take that understanding to the council table. Community members will disagree about pretty much everything, so every time there's a vote, I expect some folks will take issue with my decision. That's the way representative government works.
All those years sitting at the press table has left me with a lasting bias toward open government. Free and open discussions in the public view and ready public access to public information is the basis for an informed public. Minnesota's open meeting and open records laws are pretty sturdy protection for the public's right to be informed.
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