Petition validation puts four candidates on mayoral ballot

Mark Jantzer

Four candidates will be on the Aug. 5 ballot in the Minot mayoral race.

The filing deadline was Monday. The elected candidate will complete the year remaining in the mayor’s term held by Tom Ross, who resigned April 1.

The four candidates who filed and had their petitions accepted with at least 300 valid signatures are Mark Jantzer, Paul Pitner, Rob Fuller and Josiah Roise.

Acting mayor Jantzer, who has served on the Minot City Council since 2008, launched his campaign on his experience. He also has had leadership roles on Task Force 21 and several other organization boards, which taught him to lead collaboratively, he said when announcing his intention to run.

As president of the Minot City Council, Jantzer became acting mayor April 1. His current term expires in June 2026.

Paul Pitner

A current Minot City Council member, Pitner entered the race for mayor, saying he is “ready to get Minot back on track.”

A lifelong Minot resident and graduate of North Dakota State University, Pitner has been engaged in the community in real estate sales and as owner of Pitner Rain Gutters. He had served on local committees and boards before his election to the city council in 2018. He was re-elected in 2022 and his term runs until June 2026.

Fuller, a Minot native and businessman, is in his first term on the Minot City Council, which expires June 2028. He had announced in entering the race that he wants to bring common-sense leadership, integrity and a fresh, results-driven approach to City Hall. Running under the campaign slogan “A Fresh Start, A Stronger Minot,” he said he would move Minot forward with transparency, accountability and a long-term vision that puts the community first.

Fuller’s professional background includes more than two decades in banking and finance. He also was the founder and operator of Spartan Firearms. A 1991 graduate of Bishop Ryan and an alumnus of the University of North Dakota, Fuller returned to Minot in 2012.

Roise, who operates a local rain gutter business, was the first candidate to announce for mayor. He has launched a “constitutional mayor” campaign, saying anyone in public service should abide by and yield to the Constitution. A Minot native, Roise also advocates for smaller government.