Lisa Borgen
Ward 3 Candidate

Noelle Harden
Ward 3 Candidate

Two candidates new to elective office are vying for the open Ward 3 seat on the Moorhead City Council.
Lisa Borgen and Noelle Harden are vying to replace Larry Seljevold, who is not running for reelection. Seljevold has served two terms on the city’s governing board, the first at the turn of the century and the second concluding at the end of this year.
Lisa Borgen
Borgen, who is retiring at year’s end as vice president of administration for American Crystal Sugar Cooperative, is a lifelong Moorhead resident. A graduate of Moorhead High School, she worked as a licensed practical nurse after graduating from NDSCS, returned to MSUM for a degree in criminal justice, and received a law degree from the UND School of Law. She practiced law here until elected Clay County attorney. Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed her to the District Court in 2006; she was reelected in 2008. In 2013 she resigned from the bench to join American Crystal.
She and her husband Brad, a Moorhead businessman, have four children – three adults and a freshman at MHS – and four grandchildren who live in Moorhead and Fargo.
“I support our local police and firefighters and the city workers who help make our hometown safe, clean and welcoming,” Borgen says. “I support economic development in all areas of the city. I support small businesses and am cognizant of the costs and burdens of some regulations put upon them. And I am aware of the challenges of being a border community. I want to ensure Moorhead is competitive and a viable option for businesses and families when compared to Fargo.”
Borgen, a founding member and past chair of Downtown Moorhead Inc., was active in the “Yes 56560” campaign that led to passage of the sales tax funding the new Community Center/Library complex downtown. She has served on numerous nonprofit board, including the Moorhead Legacy Education Foundation, FM Area Foundation, YMCA, United Way and others. She has also been on the boards of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association, the state Judicial Council and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.
Noelle Harden
Harden has worked in Moorhead for the past 13 years as an educator with University of Minnesota Extension. She develops and implements programs that support the health and well-being of families. She lives in a 120-year-old house in the Woodlawn Park neighborhood with her son Ben and partner Chris.
She grew up moving around the country, living in Oregon, North Carolina and South Dakota by the time she graduated from high school. “My parents went back to school late in life,” she says, “and sometimes struggled to afford rent, food and transportation. We relied on government programs and community support just to survive. These experiences have made me a resilient, adaptable and empathetic leader committee to serving the interests of everyday families and community members.”
Harden says her aim as a candidate is to support families and workers by improving the quality of life for all residents, especially the most vulnerable. She is committed to advancing public health and safety in city. “Having served on the steering committees of Resilient Moorhead and Cass Clay Food Partners, I have experience working regionally to balance immediate community needs with long-term strategy,” she points out.
She’s also running, she says, to use her expertise in participatory budgeting and grant-making to “be an effective steward of our city budget.” Harden created the University of Minnesota’s participatory grant-making program. She says, “I believe public funds are best put to use when the people have a say in how our dollars are raised and spent.”