A resident of Minot since 2009, Nicole Brasfield said she is deeply committed to Minot’s growth and well-being.

“I am running for city council to offer our community a candidate dedicated to strengthening the place we all call home,” Brasfield said in her announcement. “I want Minot to thrive not only for those who live here, but also for those who visit.”

Eric Locken, the City of Minot’s 2022 Citizen of the Year, is a fourth generation North Dakotan and Minot native.

“I love my city and community and have dedicated a lot of my life to helping as many people as I can everywhere I go. This to me is the next step in helping my community by offering to be a voice of the people that sometimes aren’t always heard,” he said.

Nicole Brasfield

David Gipson was one of 16 applicants who declared an interest in appointment to the council last August to fill the seat vacated when Mark Jantzer was elected mayor.

“I bring a no-nonsense, common-sense approach. I can communicate effectively with anyone and understand their perspective,” he said at that time.

Gipson came to Minot in 2010 with the oil boom. He has been involved in the community in bringing the Human Rights Coalition to Minot more than a year ago.

“My inspiration for running is to give a voice to those who don’t have one – renters, disabled people, LGTBQ community. I feel like the city council has not addressed a lot of those issues, along with city budget concerns and the threat of losing city programs the community depends on,” he said.

Brasfield’s background includes seven years as a Ward County deputy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Minot State University. She currently is a small business owner, operating the Nicole Brasfield Farmers Insurance Agency.

David Gipson

“I believe our tax dollars should be allocated toward priorities that reflect the collective needs and values of our residents. I also support the consistent enforcement of existing city ordinances to ensure that our neighborhoods remain safe, clean, and welcoming,” she said. “It is essential that our property values are not diminished by homes that have become community eyesores due to excessive debris or neglected upkeep. Homeowners should not feel embarrassed by the condition of neighboring properties, and I am committed to addressing these concerns with fairness, transparency and accountability.

“Furthermore, I am committed to ensuring that our current tax revenue is used to enhance amenities that can generate economic growth for our city. Improving the North Hill Softball Fields, for example, would help attract additional tournaments and visiting teams. The well‒known ‘Minot Pop’ has discouraged participation in recent years, and better militance of these facilities would increase usage, bring additional revenue into our community, and help reduce the financial burden on property taxpayers,” she added.

Brasfield also indicated she supports efforts to improve outcomes for animals in the community. Her goal is to see the city pound equipped with long‒term, effective solutions that help reunite lost animals with their owners and assist others in finding safe, loving homes, she said.

Locken works for Gordon Technologies in Minot and has been employed in and out of the oil industry for the past 18 years.

From building more affordable housing for new families moving in to getting a better understanding of property taxes, Locken said, he would like future generations of Minot to be able to afford to live in the community.

He said getting a handle on property taxes is necessary “so we can stop kicking this can farther down the road and start to address real problems that we’re going to have if we don’t start taking care of them now and protecting our public services, like our library and public transit.”

Other candidates in the council race are Joan Hawbaker, Kyler Collom and David Wiley. In the mayor race are current mayor Jantzer and Josiah Roise, who also ran last August in a race to fill the remaining months in the term that expires this June.