Jake Anderson Wants to be the Next Mayor of St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- There are six names on the Primary Election ballot for St. Cloud Mayor.

Jake Anderson is making his second bid for mayor after unsuccessfully running for St. Cloud Mayor in 2001 while still in college.

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Anderson was the last of the candidates to throw his hat into the ring.  He says he wasn't planning to run for the job but was convinced to do so by friends and family.

Anderson is a graduate of District 742 and St. Cloud State University. He's been an IT Project Manager for Stearns County since 2009.

Anderson was on the St. Cloud Planning Commission from 2009 through 2020. He's been on the City Council since 2022. He says he wants to focus on local issues if he's elected mayor.

We need to do better to make our city more appealing, and that includes better and more Park and Recreation programs, which means better landscaping, making sure our boulevards are maintained, making sure our roundabouts are landscaped, making sure the overall aesthetics are much more appealing.

Anderson says he also wants to make sure residents know about other amenities available to them like our strong arts programs.

He says building regional partnerships is another priority for him.

What can we do better to create relationships amongst the private sector, things like the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, the cities of Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, and St. Joseph?  What can we do to work better as a region?  These are what I think are key, and staying out of national and state politics.  Not everything has to be about whether are you a Republican or a Democrat, are liberal or conservative, at a local level that should mean nothing.

The position is part-time and Anderson says he plans to keep his full-time job with Stearns County. He says he'll rely on the department leaders to keep the city running efficiently.

The other five candidates are Carol Lewis, Anne Buckvold, Mike Conway, James Trantina, and Steven Schiller. Early voting is underway right now for the August 13th Primary Election. The top two will advance to the General Election in November.

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