Laurel Podulke-Smith (Olmsted County Commissioner District 1, Minnesota, candidate 2024)

Laurel Podulke-Smith

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Olmsted County Commissioner District 1

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1996

Graduate

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Minneapolis, Minn.

Religion

Unitarian Universalist

Contact

Campaign website

Laurel Podulke-Smith ran for election to the Olmsted County Commissioner District 1 in Minnesota. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

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

Biography

Laurel Podulke-Smith provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2024:

• Birth date: January 16, 1974
• Birth place: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• High school: John Marshall High School, Rochester, MN
• Bachelor's: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 1996
• Graduate: Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, 2020
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Unitarian Universalist
• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign slogan: Laurel Podulke-Smith for a Vibrant Olmsted County
• Campaign website

Elections

General election

General election for Olmsted County Commissioner District 1

Laurel Podulke-Smith ran in the general election for Olmsted County Commissioner District 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Laurel Podulke-Smith (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 Podulke-Smith in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Laurel Podulke-Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Podulke-Smith's 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 was elected to the Olmsted County Board in 2022 and chose to serve my community as County Commissioner because I believe in the power of public service to improve the everyday lives of people. I also believe in the responsibility of counties to transform lives. I am a passionate servant leader and bring strong collaborative skills and optimistic thinking to local government. With 20 years of experience in education, healthcare, community organizing, and neighborhood advocacy, I understand the importance of working together to get things done. Toward this goal I direct my efforts to community building and fostering equity wherever possible. As a community member, I am an avid volunteer and serve on numerous non-profit boards, councils, and commissions. Olmsted County residents can count on me to lead with total commitment in a true spirit of collaboration.

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?

• Through my service on the Housing and Redevelopment Authority and Rochester Area Foundation’s First Homes board, I advocate for the expansion of affordable housing in southeast MN. This includes improving options for safe and healthy housing for BIPOC community members, working families, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and senior citizens.
• I currently chair the Dodge-Olmsted Community Corrections Joint Powers Board, and support Olmsted County's numerous alternatives to a traditional criminal justice approach, such as pretrial services, diversion programs, outreach specialists, employment assistance, chemical dependency treatment, drug court, and mental health services. The goal of these services is to offer meaningful opportunities for clients to improve their lives and lessen the likelihood of returning to the criminal justice system in the future.
• Olmsted County's Health, Housing and Human Services division stands out as a national leader in providing programs, resources, and wrap-around services for our most vulnerable residents, including children, adults and families. As a county commissioner I work to advance human services policy to better serve our residents most in need of assistance. Olmsted County's Health, Housing and Human Services Division provides resources for mental health, physical health, employment support, housing aid and medical assistance, food security, as well as veteran services. I am committed to ensuring a robust continuum of care for children, adults and families, by supporting the programs and services that help Olmsted County residents thrive.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Safety, Public Health, Affordable Housing.

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

Voters elect county commissioners not only for their values and policy priorities, but for their judgment, foresight, and ability to negotiate. I serve my community as Olmsted County Commissioner because I believe in the power of public service to improve the everyday lives of people. I am committed to building friendship and trust with every neighbor throughout District 1 because I believe in the responsibility of counties to transform lives. As a passionate servant leader, I bring strong collaborative skills and optimistic thinking to local government. With 20 years of experience in education, healthcare, community organizing, and neighborhood advocacy, I understand the importance of working together to get things done.

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

I remember when the Challenger exploded in 1986. Not only did that tragic day send shocks of mourning through the entire country, but it was particularly poignant for me because my 5th grade teacher was one of the finalists from MN under consideration for being part of the crew. I remember my teacher never mentioned the tragedy to our class, and we never talked about how close he came to being on board the Challenger that day - which left many of us confused. I remember thinking, even back then, that it is important to talk about the most difficult, tragic, and unbearable things. It is much better to talk about what pains and scares us than to set it aside.

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

Olmsted County Commissioner District 1

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