DULUTH — Former Duluth School Board member Annie Harala announced Thursday she is running for the St. Louis County Board seat being vacated by Frank Jewell.
Harala, a longtime resident of the city's Hillside neighborhoods, tabbed housing opportunities for all and the creation of good-paying jobs as cores of her platform. She also noted her support for a “strong and efficient” county government.
“To keep these systems strong, the county needs leaders that understand and support the government agencies’ core services while continuing to push toward innovations that are the right fit for county staff and residents,” Harala said.
The county’s 1st District encompasses Park Point, the Hillside neighborhoods, Chester Park and Duluth Heights.
“Spanning from the port to the airport, the district includes our higher education corridor, medical district, and our vibrant downtown,” Harala’s news release said.
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She described the outgoing Jewell as an “engaged statesman, connected collaborator and a champion for justice, fairness and good process.”
“My aim is to continue to serve similarly and expand it with my own personality and passions,” Harala said. “As a county, we need to work together for the betterment of our entire region. Our public health services don’t stop at some imaginary line between Duluth’s Hillside and Hibbing.”
A senior living in a rural part of the county needs broadband internet access just as much as the student within a municipal boundary, she continued to say, taking on a north-south divide within the County Board which rears its head at times.
“The port of Duluth doesn’t just ship products from Duluth — it serves the entire region,” Harala said. “As a county commission, we can be the catalyst for collaboration, especially if we want to compete nationally, let alone globally.”
Harala’s campaign is co-chaired by Duluth City Councilor Arik Forsman. The campaign treasurer is former Duluth City Councilor Zack Filipovich.
The 1st District race is one of three county commissioner seats up for election in 2022, along with a county attorney’s race and races for sheriff and county auditor.
