Carol Lewis (Mayor of St. Cloud, Minnesota, candidate 2024)

Carol Lewis

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mayor of St. Cloud

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 13, 2024

Education

High school

Tech High School, Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Graduate

Saint Cloud State University, 1999

Law

William Mitchell College of Law, 2009

Personal

Birthplace

Blue Earth, Minn.

Religion

Lutheran - ELCA

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Carol Lewis ran for election to the Mayor of St. Cloud in Minnesota. She was on the ballot in the primary on August 13, 2024.^[source]

Lewis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Carol Lewis provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on July 14, 2024:

• Birth date: September 15, 1956
• Birth place: Blue Earth, Minnesota
• High school: Saint Cloud Tech
• Graduate: Saint Cloud State University, 1999
• J.D.: William Mitchell College of Law, 2009
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Lutheran - ELCA
• Profession: Attorney
• Prior offices held:
  • Councilor (2012-2024)
  • Board of Education member (1997-2005)
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website

Elections

General election

General election for Mayor of St. Cloud

Jake Anderson and Mike Conway ran in the general election for Mayor of St. Cloud on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Jake Anderson (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mike Conway (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of St. Cloud

The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of St. Cloud on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Jake Anderson (Nonpartisan)
		Anne Buckvold (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mike Conway (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Carol Lewis (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Steven Dwaine Schiller (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	James F. Trantina III (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lewis in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Carol Lewis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lewis' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a lifelong resident of the City of Saint Cloud. I served on the Board of Education for 2 terms, and I have served on the City Council for 3 terms. I am the most experienced candidate running for the office of Mayor.

I started law school at the age of 49. I opened my own solo law firm helping people obtain Social Security disability insurance benefits in 2011. I have been in business for over 13 years. I have a very clear understanding of the issues facing small business owners.

I have been married to my husband Richard for 46 years. We have lived in the same house for 45 years. We have two sons, two daughters in law, and 5 grandchildren.

I graduated from Tech High School, Saint Cloud State, and William Mitchell College of Law.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I want to maintain a stable, safe and prosperous Saint Cloud. St. Cloud has been my home my whole life. I feel safe living here, and I want to keep it that way. I also want to support the Economic Development department (EDA) so that we keep bringing new business to St.Cloud and helping current businesses expand. Getting and keeping good jobs remains a priority for my administration.
• The fiscal health of the city is a priority. I will make sure that the budget is managed carefully and consistently. We must maintain the 2A+ bond rating to help taxpayers pay the lowest rate possible when bonding is necessary for large projects.
• The city is a world leader in sustainability. It is good for the taxpayer and good for the environment. I will work to maintain that leadership and improve on what we already have.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Again, maintaining our 2A+ bond rating, getting and maintaining good paying jobs, and keeping our world leading actions on sustainability.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My grandparents. They emigrated from Sweden as teenagers without speaking a word of English. They struggled. Ultimately, they made a good life for themselves and their family. They persevered. I thank them for showing the way through adversity and coming out all right in the end.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Mr. Smith Goes to Washinton

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and integrity. The buck stops here is my mantra.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I’m a very good listener. I also try to put myself in the other person’s shoes to try and understand their perspective.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Knowing your lane. Knowing what is the responsibility of the city versus the county. Cities get into financial trouble by expanding their reach into areas that are covered by another governmental entity.

My idea is to present city services to the community in the most efficient yet friendly way.

What legacy would you like to leave?

She tried her best. Always.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I was 6. I visited Arlington National Cemetery a few years ago and cried and cried and cried at his grave. I think my six year old self was finally able to express my deep sorrow.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a server. I held it for five years. I learned a very valuable skill - prioritizing.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Anything by Alexander McCall Smith. He writes fluidly and has a wry wit. His books are classified as mysteries, but there is no death or violence. He has exposed me to Botswana in his series about the Number One Ladies Detective Agency. His humor is abundant in the series taking place in Sweden with the lead character named Ulf Vang.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Mama Ramotswe from the Alexander McCall Smith books. She treats everyone with kindness, and does not diminish anyone because of their financial standing. She is a good and decent person who helps people figure out the cause of their problems, and then helps them get on the right track.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Don’t stop believing

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Believing in myself enough to think I could accomplish things like graduating from law school. I have conquered that by facing my fears and persevering.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

The mayor sets the tone for the functioning of the city. Employees follow the lead of the mayor. The mayor must explain to the community any positive or negative happening in the city, and be fully transparent about the situation and the ramifications.

If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?

That does not apply.

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

Informing. Communication is the key to a good relationship with the Council. Don’t hid the ball.

What do you love most about your city?

The people. I get great energy talking with the people of St. Cloud.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Managing annexation of township lands. Finding tenants or owners of factories that have left the community. We need jobs for people who have a high school diploma or less. We also need housing, which will require changes in the zoning codes.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?

We are a regional center and that brings a lot more expense than our taxpayers can handle. The state is needed to help provide needed amenities to our community.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?

When a bridge fails, which did happen, we need our federal reps to help advocate for funding.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Descartes is sitting at a bar. The bartender offers him another drink and he replies, “I think not.” And disappears.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor's office and law enforcement?

The mayor appoints the police chief in our community. The mayor should not interfere with the chief’s role. That is essential for a good relationship.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I don’t think there can ever be enough transparency in government. Currently the city is fairly transparent, but I think more can be done.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Mayor of St. Cloud

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