Ely 2026 Election Guide
Candidates for Ely mayor and City Council in the 2026 election shared their views on various city issues. When asked about data centers, mayoral candidates Heidi Omerza and Emily Roose indicated that Ely lacks the necessary land and infrastructure to support such facilities. City Council candidate Abby Dare suggested community education on the topic before forming a stance, while Albert Forsman expressed openness to considering any industry.
The KAXE Election Guide for Ely's 2026 municipal elections profiles candidates running for mayor and City Council, detailing their backgrounds, qualifications, and stances on local issues. Mayoral candidates Heidi Omerza and Emily Roose, along with City Council candidates Josh Brang, Angela Campbell, Abby Dare, Albert Forsman, Lacey Squier, and Mark Zupec, were invited to share their platforms. The guide includes candidate statements, unedited, with contextual notes from the KAXE news team.
A recurring topic addressed by candidates was their perspective on data center development in Ely. Incumbent Mayor Heidi Omerza stated that data centers would not be financially feasible for Ely due to a lack of available land and insufficient infrastructure capacity. Mayoral challenger Emily Roose echoed this sentiment, noting Ely's remote location and reliance on external energy sources, and expressed skepticism about the economic impact and job creation potential of data centers.
City Council candidate Abby Dare proposed initiating community conversations and education about technology use and its connection to data centers before forming an opinion on support or opposition. Fellow incumbent City Council candidate Albert Forsman expressed openness to considering any industry that might fit within Ely. Other candidates did not specifically address data centers.
The candidates also discussed other significant challenges facing Ely, including economic recovery and long-term development, housing, workforce and demographics, fiscal responsibility, communication, and infrastructure upgrades.