City Elections & Financial Reports

Golden Valley holds municipal elections in odd-numbered years and does not hold municipal primary elections. The City's five elected officials include a Mayor (four-year term) and four Council Members (four-year terms are staggered so only two members are elected at each municipal election). Council Members serve at large and represent the entire city. All offices are nonpartisan.

Running for City Office

Offices up for election in 2025 are:

• two council members for a term of four years commencing Jan 1, 2026, and expiring Dec 31, 2029

2025 Candidate Information

• View a list of candidates including website information at the Minnesota Secretary of State's Candidate Filing Page
• Watch the City Council Candidate Forum - September 17, 2025 (Hosted by the League of Women Voters of Golden Valley)

Requirements

To register for public office in the City of Golden Valley, candidates must:

• live in Golden Valley and be a qualified voter therein
• be 21 years of age or older upon assuming office
• have established residency in the City at least 30 days before election day
• not have filed for any other office in the current election
• submit a complete affidavit of candidacy (PDF) (new form in 2025) and provide proof of residency during the filing period
• pay a $5 filing fee or present a petition with the signatures of eligible voters in lieu of the filing fee (Minnesota Statute 204B.07-204B.11)
• file a City Council candidate financial disclosure form (PDF) with the Golden Valley Elections and Voter Registration Office within 14 calendar days of filing their candidacy (included in Candidate Information Packet received when filing for office)
• provide information requested by the City that will be made available to the public

Candidate Financial Reports

Minnesota Statue 211A.02, Subd. 6 now requires the City to make all campaign finance reports (PDF) that are required to be filed available on the City's website. Reports will be posted no later than 30 days after they are received and will be available on this website for four years from the date the report was posted. Candidates must file financial reports (PDF) when they have collected more than $750 in contributions or expended more than $750 in a calendar year. To view candidates' reports, follow this link to the City's public information portal where each candidate is listed in alphabetical order.