2026 DISTRICT MEETINGS

District meetings will be held for BENCO Electric Cooperative members in Districts 3, 5, 7 and 4 on January 5, 6, 7 and 8, 2026, respectively.

Members living in these districts are welcome to attend their meeting where the sole purpose will be to choose a nominee(s), for Director of the Association, to be certified as such to the Annual Meeting of the Members of the Association.

Members living in the following areas are considered members of District 3 and may vote at the district meeting: the townships of Cottonwood and Linden in Brown County; Cambria, Butternut, Judson and South Bend in Blue Earth County. The District 3 Meeting will be held on Monday, January 5, 2026 at 1:00 pm at the Cambria Town Hall in Cambria.

Members living in the following areas are considered members of District 4 and may vote at the district meeting: the townships of Kasota and Washington in LeSueur County; Lime, Mankato, Rapidan and Decoria, and the City of Mankato in Blue Earth County. The District 4 Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 1:00 pm at the Decoria Town Hall in Mankato.

Members living in the following areas are considered members of District 5 and may vote at the district meeting: the townships of Jamestown, LeRay, McPherson, Lyra, Beauford and Medo in Blue Earth County; the City of Madison Lake in Blue Earth County; and the townships of Janesville and Alton in Waseca County. The District 5 Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 1:00 pm at the St. Clair Fire Hall in St. Clair.

Members living in the following areas are considered members of District 7 and may vote at the district meeting: the townships of Sterling, Mapleton and Danville in Blue Earth County; Lura, Minnesota Lake, Dunbar and Clark in Faribault County; the City of Easton in Faribault County; and the townships of Freeborn and Carlston in Freeborn County; and the township of Vivian in Waseca County. The District 7 Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 1:00 pm at the Wells Community Room in Wells.

Nominating committees for District 3, 4, 5 and 7 met in November. The candidates to come forward to the District Meetings from the Nominating Committee Meetings are: District 3 - Brad Leiding, Incumbent; District 4 - Joel Luehmann, Incumbent; Shane Bowyer, Joe Butzer and Randy Thompson; District 5 - Keith Bauer, Mark Braun, Veronica Bruckhoff and Jason Krengel; and District 7 - Gary Stenzel, Incumbent.

Candidates may also be nominated from the floor at the District Meeting. Once a member registers at the meeting, they may vote.