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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Four Candidates Seek Brooklyn Park Mayor’s Office as Voters Head to Primary
Brooklyn Park voters will narrow a four-person mayoral field and select two finalists for the East District City Council seat in Tuesday’s primary. The election comes as the rapidly growing city manages major development, infrastructure and public-safety decisions.
BROOKLYN PARK, MN (August 10, 2026). Four candidates are competing for mayor of Brooklyn Park, setting up a Tuesday primary that will reduce the field to two finalists for the November general election.
Incumbent Mayor Hollies J. Winston is seeking another term. He is being challenged by Shelle Page, Maria Tran and Boyd Morson.
The two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes Tuesday will advance to the November 3 election.
Brooklyn Park elects its mayor citywide. The mayor participates in City Council decisions and serves as president of the Brooklyn Park Economic Development Authority.
Four candidates compete in the East District
The East District City Council primary also has four candidates: Philip Seton Gaye-Bai, Aaron Endris, incumbent Christian Eriksen and Allen Miskowiec.
Two will advance to November.
The Central and West district races will not require candidates to be eliminated in the primary because only two people filed for each seat.
Ashyante Shantell Gill and incumbent Nichole Klonowski filed in the Central District. Tonja West-Hafner and Benice David-Cooper filed in the West District, according to the candidate list published by the city.
Those candidates are expected to advance to the November ballot without a primary contest.
Growth shapes the election
The next mayor and City Council will oversee decisions affecting one of Minnesota’s largest and most diverse cities.
Brooklyn Park has more than 86,000 residents and is Minnesota’s sixth-largest city. Its population includes substantial Black, African immigrant, Asian, Latino and multiracial communities.
Among the city’s largest development initiatives is the BioTech Innovation District, envisioned as a center for medical, biotechnology and advanced-manufacturing investment.
City officials have said the district could ultimately support thousands of jobs, but its development will require sustained work on transportation, utilities, housing and financing.
The city is also preparing for the planned Metro Blue Line Extension, which would connect Brooklyn Park with North Minneapolis and downtown Minneapolis.
Local leaders will have to address how that investment affects neighborhoods, businesses, housing costs and development along the proposed transit corridor.
Public safety and services
Brooklyn Park’s 2026 budget added six full-time firefighters and invested in emergency-response technology, including drones capable of transmitting real-time video to the city’s operations center.
The city is also balancing public-safety spending with prevention programs, youth services and the financial demands created by continued population and commercial growth.
Property taxes, street reconstruction, housing affordability, small-business support and communication between City Hall and residents are expected to remain important subjects through the general-election campaign.
Voting information
Brooklyn Park residents may vote early at City Hall, 5200 85th Avenue North, until 5 p.m. Monday.
Election Day polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The city has 25 precinct polling locations, and voters should verify their assigned site before leaving home.
Same-day voter registration is available with acceptable proof of identity and residence.
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