Katie Hemmer, former mayor 2010-2018, announces June 9, 2026 Jamestown bid

Katie Hemmer, who served as Jamestown mayor from 2010 to 2018 under the name Katie Andersen, announces she will seek election for mayor of Jamestown in the June 9, 2026 primary. Her campaign released an announcement and is operating a campaign website called KatieforMayor; the Jamestown Sun published a photo labeled "Katie Hemmer 2026.jpg" with the story.

Hemmer frames her bid around growth and quality-of-life amenities, saying "Jamestown needs a mayor to welcome residential development, great-paying jobs and retail, restaurant and recreation options. I am that mayor." She adds that she has the "experience, connections and drive to remove roadblocks on the path to growth" and lays out housing and development as central campaign themes.

A hometown figure who grew up in Jamestown, Hemmer is identified by GrowingJamestown as director of Jamestown Regional Airport and by the Jamestown Sun as active across local institutions. The Sun reports she coaches Jamestown High School girls golf, serves as an NDHSAA gymnastics official, sits on the Jamestown Country Club Board of Directors, works with the JCC Youth Golf Foundation and plays in the choir and as a parish musician at St. James Basilica. Hemmer and her husband are parents to Camron, 19, and Keira, 14.

Tax policy and government efficiency appear early on Hemmer's platform. She told the Sun, "If you increase the total valuation through new builds and reduce spending, the burden of individual property tax is controlled. Property taxes are overly burdensome for all North Dakotans. The state policy for primary residence credit is a step in the right direction, but it is not nearly enough." She also said she will be a "bold advocate" for real statewide property tax reduction while promising to "improve government efficiency to reduce the annual budget."

On housing supply and public safety, Hemmer emphasized action with developers and local professionals. The Sun reports she said, "Jamestown needs housing and affordable housing... which is about supply," and that she "will work with developers, individuals, contractors and Realtors to improve the supply of residential housing." The Sun further reports Hemmer recognizes public safety as a top priority for Jamestown, though her announcement did not include detailed safety measures.

GrowingJamestown highlighted Hemmer's message on leadership and mentorship, quoting her explanation of an earlier run: "I made the choice to run for public office (Mayor of Jamestown), at the age of 28, because I did not see anyone else stepping forward to provide the dynamic leadership and prioritization of economic growth I thought the community deserved." That piece also printed comments from Tonya Perkins of Jamestown Regional Medical Center urging support for young women in leadership.

The announcement leaves several specifics unreported. An original campaign fragment noted, "Hemmer’s announcement is an explicit campaign launch for the June 9 primary; she framed her bid as a call" but the sentence is incomplete. The campaign has not yet disclosed candidate filing details with the county, a campaign staff list, precise plans to "reduce and remove obstacles to development," or the operational dates for her role at Jamestown Regional Airport. Hemmer's stated targets for the June 9, 2026 primary set the timetable; ballot placement and further policy detail will depend on official filings and subsequent campaign releases.