Stephanie Aronson: Candidate Isanti County

Being a candidate and being an elected official are two entirely different jobs.

My name is Stephanie Aronson, and I am a terrible candidate.

Obviously, I’m not off to a strong start here. But to win an election, you have to win votes. You have to be someone people know and like. That’s why candidates are usually gregarious, outgoing, fun, social people. Candidates love showing up at parties and events. People seeking public office join clubs and volunteer for local organizations. Politicians talk to everyone, know the names of people at local businesses, make friends wherever they go. They knock on doors.

I’m not that girl.

I’m an introvert. I hate large crowds. When I go to street dances or networking events, I am always the one lurking at the edge, watching everyone else have fun. (Nobody likes a lurker.) Rarely do I participate in local organizations, even when I love the cause, because I’m not a joiner. I like to listen more than talk. Rarely do I initiate conversations with people because I don’t want to intrude on their space without a specific invite. Certainly I will never knock on a door. I hate it when people show up to my house uninvited and force a conversation I don’t want to have. You have my word, I will never do that to anyone else.

I’ve just done a great job explaining why I am a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad candidate.

Now let me tell you why I would be a great Isanti County Commissioner.

Isanti County is my home. I grew up here, attending Isanti Middle School and graduating from CIHS. Then I left (like the vast majority of graduates leave every year), coming back as an adult. I understand both sides of Isanti, the country traditions and rural vibe as well as the explosion of new people, new ideas and new needs that come with being one of the fastest growing counties in Minnesota. I know what it is to grow up here and want to preserve the way of life that makes this home. And I know how many things need to shift and grow to accommodate the future and keep this area vital and alive instead of fading away or being totally absorbed.

Qualifications? Glad you asked!

My credentials are on point and relevant. Like many of the local elected officials, I am a small business owner. I founded Vixen Defense, a firearms training and self-defense shop, on Main Street in the city of Isanti back in 2013. I’m a nationally certified firearms instructor and am authorized by the Minnesota BCA as a training instructor to license other gun trainers. I have a BA in English, worked in a library through college, did a student teaching rotation for adult literacy, then went on to earn dual Master’s degrees—one in Business Administration and one in Criminal Justice.  

My experience in business and MBA make contract work and negotiations, budgeting and resource allocation all familiar territory. My history of teaching and working within an educational framework gave me a solid understanding of the complexities of what happens behind the scenes in our public schools and will make it a piece of cake to work with school and library boards. A solid understanding of criminal justice as well as years of dealings with the MN Bureau of Criminal apprehension give me unique insights in dealings with Sheriff’s Department, Corrections Department and County Attorney. Building my business from the ground up meant learning to pull the trigger on hard decisions in a timely manner, accepting full responsibility for all my decisions and a commitment to absolute reliability. There is no such thing as paid vacation, passing the buck or sick leave when you are self-employed.

I am Stephanie Aronson, candidate for Isanti County Commissioner.

I will show up. Get the job done and stay on task. Learn what I do not already know, seek out best answers and practices and make decisions in a timely manner for the greatest benefit to the people of Isanti County. I might not be a great candidate – but I can promise to be a highly effective and devoted commissioner.