Filings open Tuesday for 5 of 7 Albert Lea City Council seats
City News May 15, 2026
Filings open Tuesday, May 19 for five of the seven seats on the Albert Lea City Council.
The following seats are open: Mayor and Ward 2, 4 and 6 city council seats, now held by Rich Murray, Larry Baker, Reid Olson and Brian Anderson, respectively. These seats are for 4-year terms.
Voters will also elect a representative for Ward 3 to serve the remaining two years of the 4-year term. This seat became vacant following Jason Howland’s resignation; Ted Herman currently holds the position by mayoral appointment until the end of 2026.
Because the mayor position represents the community as a whole, candidates may live anywhere within city limits. For the other seats, councilors represent specific wards and must live within those ward boundaries. A map of wards is available on the city website.
As required by Minnesota law, candidates must:
- Be eligible to vote in Minnesota
- Have not filed for another office at the upcoming primary or general election
- Be at least 21 years of age upon assuming office
- Have maintained residence in their ward for at least 30 days before the general election
To file for office, candidates need to complete an affidavit of candidacy and pay a $25 fee at the City Clerk’s office on the top floor of City Hall, 221 E. Clark St. Candidacy packets are available in the City Clerk’s Office, 221 E. Clark St., or on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.
As part of a statewide update, the Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging candidates to type their Affidavit of Candidacy to help prevent misspellings on ballots.
Residents may use a public computer at the Albert Lea Public Library to complete their filing documents. Computer use is free. Printing is available for 25 cents per page in color. Note the library only takes cash.
Filings close at 5 p.m. June 2 with the primary election on Aug. 11 and the general election on Nov. 3.
For more information about filing, contact City Clerk Daphney Maras at 507-377-4335 or dmaras@ci.albertlea.mn.us.
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