Zumbro Falls man loses home, runs for mayor

Zumbro Falls damage
A damaged fence and deck in the backyard of a home along Main Street in Zumbro Falls, Minn., pictured on Sept. 27, 2010.
MPR Photo/Elizabeth Baier

There are many tight election races across the state and across the nation. But the race for mayor of Zumbro Falls, population 177, is not one of the them.

The sitting mayor, Alan VandeWalker, decided not to run for re-election after serving in office for 20 years. Enter Al Christiansen, 15-year veteran of the Zumbro Falls City Council, who stepped in and agreed to run for mayor.

That was all before the city was hit by severe flooding in September. Christiansen is on the ballot -- unopposed -- and the job he thought he was running for has turned out to be very very different.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.