Kowski wins mayor’s seat

Sauk Centre voters sent Scott Kowski to the mayor’s chair and selected Heidi Leach and Pat Winters to serve on the Sauk Centre City Council in the Nov. 3 general election.

Kowski received 1,088 votes to defeat Warren Stone, who received 623 votes in the race according to the unofficial results provided on the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website.

Stone, the incumbent, faced a challenge from Kowski, current city council member, for the four-year term as mayor.

“It means a lot the citizens of Sauk Centre put their trust in me and exercised their constitutional right in voting and selecting who they want in office,” Kowski said after the election. “Competition is a good thing, and that way, the voters have a choice in their elected officials and isn’t just a rubber stamp.”

Kowski said he is looking forward to working with the rest of the council in a new role.

“There are four other elected officials that have a say, and we need to work together and put our differences aside,” he said. “We all have the same mission as elected officials and that is serve the people that put us here.”

The city council race featured five candidates competing for two available four-year positions.

Incumbents Leach and Joe Fuechtmann sought reelection. They were joined on the ballot by Alex Evenson, Rob Nelson and Winters.

Unofficial vote totals for the evening saw Winters led the council race with 915 votes and was followed by Leach with 858 

The remaining candidates finished with Fuechtmann receiving 656 votes, Nelson with 402 and Evenson receiving 286 votes.

“I am very surprised by the vote totals; I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Winters said. “The incumbents were both strong candidates with significant experience. I was honestly thinking third place would be best case.”

Leach said she is ready to keep working for the community of Sauk Centre.

“I’m beyond grateful; I have never assumed to continue this role, but I am thankful for the opportunity,” she said. “My goal this next term is to help make decisions that prioritize fiscal responsibility, bearing in mind stagnancy does not lead to growth.”

Leach said having a new makeup of the city council provides an opportunity to work together for the residents.

“Every council member I have worked with brings a perspective that is created through lived experience and opinions that reflect their personal viewpoint,” she said. “I will appreciate and listen to all, as I have in the past, and continue to base my decisions on a collective of all perspectives.”

When Kowski is sworn in as mayor in January 2027, there will be a vacancy in his current council seat. At that time, the council will make an appointment to fill the remainder of Kowski’s council term.