Four candidates are vying to be the two remaining candidates for the general election in November after the primary votes are counted.
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WILLMAR — Four Willmar mayoral candidates face off in the Tuesday primary to determine who will be on the 2026 general election ballot — Justin Ask, Zeke Dahl, Rollie Nissen and Sarah Vasquez.
The top two vote-getters Tuesday will advance to the November election.
Ask has been a Willmar City Councilor for Ward 3 since January of 2021. He and his family, which includes his wife, Seyward, and three children, have lived in Willmar since 2016 when he accepted the call to serve as lead pastor at Vinje Lutheran Church.
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For the last four years, Ask has been elected by the council to serve as mayor pro tem. He currently serves on the Kandiyohi County Economic Development Joint Powers Board, the Central Community Transit Joint Powers Board and the Willmar Human Rights Commission.
Dahl is originally from California and has lived in Willmar since 2017. He has been a perpetual candidate for mayor and City Council since then, running unsuccessfully for mayor in 2018 and 2022 and for Willmar City Council Ward 3 in 2020.
Dahl did not state his current employment, but when running for mayor in 2022, he told the West Central Tribune he worked at Cash Wise, did landscaping side jobs and helped people with pre-legal paperwork. He attended Riverland Community College in Austin, Minnesota, and is five credits short of a criminal justice degree.
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Nissen served Kandiyohi County as a county commissioner from 2015 through 2021. He came to Willmar in 1965 to attend Willmar Community College (now Ridgewater College) and graduated with an associate degree.
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During his time as commissioner, Nissen served on many committees and boards for various entities and continues to serve on the Kandiyohi County Planning Commission, the Kandiyohi County Economic Development Joint Operations Board and the PrimeWest Health board that meets quarterly to review providers and watch for potential fraud.
He raised his family in Willmar during his career at Tradehome Shoes, and after retiring from there, Nissen began a 20-year career in the insurance business with Corneil-Elkjer and Principal Financial Group. He just retired from a 31-year career driving a bus for Willmar Bus Service.
Vasquez served as the president of the Ridgewater College Multicultural Club before graduating this year. She also serves on the Willmar Human Rights Commission.
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She is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and leadership, with graduation expected early next year. She then intends to pursue law school.
Voters can see all the races on the primary ballot, and find their in-person polling place Tuesday, by entering their home address on the Minnesota Voting Information Portal at myballotmn.sos.mn.gov.
The Minnesota Secretary of State’s website also has information about where to vote early on Monday — in most counties the auditor’s office or its equivalent during regular business hours.
Jennifer Kotila is a reporter for West Central Tribune of Willmar, Minnesota. She focuses on local government, specifically the City of Willmar, and business.
She can be reached via email at: [email protected] or phone at 320-295-6115.