Heather MacDonald For Ramsey County ND

06/17/2026

Tonight after the county commission meeting I went to check on things at work. Once it slowed down I noticed the most beautiful rainbow. I had to capture the moment.

We are truly blessed to live in God's country and able to catch some amazing views.

06/12/2026

Today was the big emergency water meeting regarding Fenster Lake.

From everything I've heard, the dialogue was productive, and honestly, that was the most important thing to come out of today. It sounds like the room was full, which is exactly what needed to happen. Showing up in numbers sends a message, so thank you to all the residents who took the time to attend and make their voices heard.

Credit also goes to the Water Board and Ramsey County for getting the meeting moved here instead of holding it in Bismarck. That gave local residents an opportunity to participate in a discussion that directly impacts them.

As much as we all want the outcome to be in our favor, it's difficult to be overly confident. We've been down this road before and have often been left with more questions than answers. I remain hopeful, but when discussions turn back to policies put in place decades ago that prohibit new water from being drained into Devils Lake, it's hard not to feel discouraged.

If this permit is denied, it will once again be back to the drawing board.

With this being an election year, it's unlikely that major changes will happen quickly. My hope is that whoever we send to Bismarck as our next representatives will be willing to revisit existing laws, propose amendments where needed, or introduce new legislation that allows us to move water off Fenster Lake while balancing the concerns of all parties involved.

This is one of the many reasons I am running for Ramsey County Commission.

A county commissioner's job is more than attending meetings. It's about reaching up to our state representatives, working with neighboring counties, collaborating with local boards, and pushing for solutions that matter to the people we serve.

The residents of Ramsey County deserve results—not just another meeting.

06/10/2026

Running for Ramsey County Commission has been an incredible experience, and I am truly grateful for the trust and confidence so many of you placed in me. This campaign was never just about one person; it was about our shared commitment to the future of Ramsey County and making sure every voice is heard. I am not surprised or disappointed in the results. I knew this cycle is typically the least attended. It just means I need to work harder to get my messaging out.

Many have asked why I wanted to do this or how this run all came about. I will share this story. A dear friend Leon Gilbraith walked into our establishment and said Heather I think you need to write a letter of intent for the open County Commission seat. I was originally taken back. I questioned if it was the right time for myself and my family. I was quickly reminded 10 years ago I told myself and my family that this was eventually going to be the plan. So right at the deadline I put together a letter and brought it in. Someone else was chosen and I honestly was okay with that choice. I wanted to earn it the right way. Had I been appointed it probably would not have felt as if I did not deserved it. Not only that. But sometimes in those situations people think they can control how you vote on a subject. I am not that type of person. Everytime I have done that with other boards and committees I instantly regret it. As I age I no longer want to live with regrets. So here we are. On the ballot. The results were the results. I need to be better at getting out and meeting people. Reminding people who I am and what I stand for. That is MY responsibility.

Whether you supported me from day one or joined us along the way, your support, friendship, and belief in the vision meant more than I can express. I have had the opportunity to meet so many great people, listen to your concerns, and learn more about the communities that make Ramsey County such a special place to call home.

Thank you for your votes, your encouragement, and your faith in this campaign. I am humbled by your support. The results are my results. I really did not spend as much time campaigning prior to the primary as I should have. Perhaps I was over confident. I was disappointed in the attendance of the forum last month. For only 2 of the 4 of us to show up I thought that showed which ones of us are taking this seriously. The questions in the forum I felt were lack luster. They were what I would consider "safe questions." They really didn't address what needs to be fixed because it would expose previous leadership maybe even current to some degree. Multiple people have commented on that. So I was relieved to know I was not the only one that felt that way. Like I said earlier. I am not done. I am just getting started. Thank you to those who have been outspoken with the words of encouragement. To those that have their doubts. I want to personally thank you for the ammunition. To those that do not know me. Let's meet up and chat.

With Sincere Gratitude

Heather C. MacDonald

06/09/2026

ELECTION DAY!!!!

06/09/2026

As I wind down for the night I cannot thank everyone enough for the tremendous amount of support. But the verbal support and the physical support are always 2 different things.

Make sure to go out and let your voice be heard tomorrow. Your voice is through the ballot box and I encourage everyone to participate in their civic duty tomorrow.

You deserve a servant leader. That is exactly who I am. I was raised by the best examples of servant leaders anyone could ever ask for. I hope I can be the embodiment of what servant leadership was for myself growing up. From Lake Region Figure Skating Club board, chaperoning church youth activities, State International Order of Rainbow for girls board and many other respective causes. I have done the work whenever asked. That is what Ramsey County needs. Someone who has always been a servant leader. My record speaks for itself. I tend to take after my father when it comes to be being outspoken. I highly doubt that will ever change. I blame the Scottish blood. I have also learned if you say nothing out of fear of recourse nothing is addressed and we do not get the fine tweaking that is much needed. The people of Ramsey County are great. But deserve the opportunity to grow and prosper. That is my goal at the end of the day. Tremendous amount of growth is my goal. We need someone to be able to reach out, down and above to make it happen. I am willing to do whatever it takes.

Thank again from the bottom of my heart. Weather you vote for me or not. GET OUT AND VOTE.

Heather C MacDonald

06/02/2026

Please do not steal the political signs. We are so much better than that as a community.

05/21/2026

Hi Ramsey County,

I do plan to attend tomorrow's forum. That is the plan. However, there is potentially a possibility I will be late. Unfortunately. We have had a death on my other half's side of the family. So we need to be in Northern Minnesota tomorrow afternoon for the service. I am fairly confident if everything goes well and according to planned. We should be back in time for me to attend the forum and Nolan to work the kitchen at the Bar. I just want to be transparent in the event I was late or something happened for us to not get back in time.

As always thanks for the support

Heather MacDonald

P.S. I want to hear from you. If you have any questions, comments or concerns. Please do not be afraid to reach out to me. I love to visit.

05/14/2026

What a great experience for our community to witness and appreciate.

It is National Law Enforcement Week. Make sure to take a minute to thank the men and women who serve this community for there service. Not just this week but any chance you get.

Heads up, Devils Lake! Our K9 teams are in town this week for K9 in-service training. They normally train out at Camp Grafton, but a change of plans has them working in and around the Devils Lake area instead.

If you see them out and about, feel free to give them a wave. Just don’t take K9 Beau’s game face too seriously. He’s trying his best.

Please share this post to reach the Devils Lake area and spread the word that these are training exercises only!

05/12/2026

There is a lot of frustration when it comes to our never ending water problems. The outlets are a HOT topic not just from our region but from abroad. Interesting enough. A few years ago I was at our annual promoter meeting for the race track. We always sit and have lunch with some of our friends from North of the US border. I got some flack about our outlet and how dare we pollute their water ways. As I sat and listened it became very apparent they had been fed a story line that was inaccurate. My other half looked at me and said well your born and raised here. Whats your take? I just stated the facts. Explained how Devils Lake and the Lake Region is essentially a big bowl. We get all the water from the North which does include water from the border over by pembina. So we are technically giving Canada there water back. But I also explained. Had we not done anything the effects down stream would have been catastrophic. Had Devils Lake and Stump Lake taken its natural flow without mitigation many acres of farm land, towns and cities could have potentially been lost. Are our outlets a perfect plan? No. Was there cheaper ways to go about it? Absolutely. Needless to say come the end of that conversation they were in greater understanding the reasoning as to why the outlets were put in. I am happy to see the west end outlet is running with the tentative plan for the east end to start operations on Thursday. Hopefully we can make some good headway when it comes to water this season before freeze up. This is a battle that I do not see ever being fully resolved in my lifetime. But this is a very important issue within Ramsey County and we need to be better about educating and advocating for the residence and growers effected by the constant water issues our county faces. Now we just need to get Fenster Slough under control.

The Devils Lake outlets are officially operating for the 2026 discharge season!

The West End Outlet began operations on May 11 and the East End Outlet is expected to begin operations on May 14.

Outlet discharge rates may be adjusted based on downstream flows and water quality criteria. DWR staff will continue to closely monitor the system and responsibly manage water releases.

05/10/2026

The greatest joy and the greatest challenge is being a mother.

Happy mothers day to all the moms out there. Especially to my mother Judy MacDonald.