DonateFaith. Family. Fairness.
About Sarah Kyte
Sarah Mae Kyte is the founder of Kyte Law Office and currently works as an attorney and public defender. Her practice has included family law, criminal defense, juvenile law, and mediation—work that has required careful preparation, sound judgment, and compassion for people facing life-changing circumstances.
But Sarah's story is not defined by a résumé alone. She is a wife, a mother in a large blended family, someone shaped by difficult chapters, and someone who understands how much courage it can take to speak when the stakes are personal. Those experiences have deepened her empathy without weakening her resolve.
Sarah earned a degree in Business Administration from Minnesota State University Moorhead and a degree in Mass Communication, with an emphasis in Photojournalism, from California State University, Northridge. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
Sarah is running for District Court Judge because she believes she has something meaningful to offer the Northeast Central Judicial District and because voters deserve a genuine choice. She believes judicial campaigns should remain focused on each candidate's experience, character, and ability to serve—not on personal attacks.
That commitment is more than a campaign message. Sarah has publicly expressed respect for her opponent's professionalism and courtesy, even while asking voters to consider the distinct qualities she would bring to the bench. Her approach reflects the kind of leadership she values: civil, independent, honest, and secure enough to recognize the dignity of others.
“Believing in my own candidacy does not require me to diminish someone else.”
Why I'm running
Service begins with listening.
“I am running because justice must be more than a process—it must be a promise kept with courage, humility, and care.”
My work in family, criminal, and juvenile law has placed me beside people during some of the hardest moments of their lives. I have seen how a court decision can affect a person's freedom, a parent's relationship with a child, a family's stability, and an individual's belief that the system can still be fair.
“Justice available only to those who can afford representation is no justice at all.”
I believe people who represent themselves—often called pro se litigants—deserve the same patience, attention, and respect as those who have an attorney. A person's concerns should never be dismissed or overlooked simply because that person does not have legal representation. A fair courtroom must explain procedures clearly, apply the rules consistently, and give every party a meaningful opportunity to present their case while remaining impartial to everyone involved.
I have also personally experienced how painful and isolating the justice system can feel when the full story has not been heard. My family has lived with the lasting effects of domestic violence, and I know how deeply fear, uncertainty, and court decisions can shape a family long after a hearing ends. What I have been through has not made me cynical—it has made me more determined to listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, remain independent, and treat every person with dignity.
I am seeking this judgeship because I believe my courtroom experience, resilience, compassion, preparation, and willingness to make difficult decisions would serve the people of this district well. I also believe voters deserve a meaningful choice. As an attorney and public defender, I have learned to look beyond assumptions, examine the facts, understand the law, and recognize the human consequences of every case.
I will bring the same standards to public service that I bring to this campaign: professionalism without personal attacks, respect without surrendering independence, and confidence that does not depend on diminishing anyone else. Courts should model the civility, patience, and dignity they expect from the people who appear before them.
Judicial authority carries a solemn duty. Corruption, favoritism, personal agendas, and improper influence undermine justice and the public's trust in the courts. Ethics and professional responsibility must guide every exercise of judicial authority. If elected, I will guard the independence and integrity of my courtroom and decide matters on the facts and law—never on status, connections, or outside pressure.
If elected, I want every person who enters my courtroom to have a meaningful opportunity to be heard. I want parents, children, victims, defendants, attorneys, and neighbors to know that their case is not merely a file number. Whether the matter is straightforward or life-changing, I will approach it with patience, preparation, fairness, and the heart of a servant.
This community is where I have built my practice, raised my family, coached young people, and stood beside clients in moments of crisis. Serving as judge would be a profound responsibility and a way to give back to the people who have trusted me, challenged me, and helped shape the person I am today.
Family & community
The people behind my purpose.
My husband, Matt, and I have nine children, and we make our home in East Grand Forks with our dog, Frost, and our cat, Nala. Our life is full—sometimes loud, sometimes complicated, and always grounded in love. Blending a family has taught me that trust is built through consistency, that listening matters, and that every person needs to know they belong.
Our family has known joyful milestones and painful seasons, including the long reach of domestic violence. Watching my children grow through those experiences has made me more protective of fairness, more attentive to what is left unsaid, and more aware that a court's decisions can echo through a family for generations.
My husband, Matthew “Matt” Beland
I am deeply proud of my husband, Matthew “Matt” Beland, a veteran who served for 23 years as a law enforcement officer. His career required courage and sacrifice; today, as a stay-at-home dad, he brings that same steadiness and devotion to our family. His support makes it possible for me to serve my clients, this campaign, and the community we call home.
Family life keeps me humble. It means school schedules, youth sports, graduations, college transitions, pets, hard conversations, laughter, and showing up again the next day. My volunteer work as a youth soccer coach grew from that same belief: people thrive when they are encouraged, prepared, and treated as though their voice matters.
I want to serve this community because I know its people are more than the hardest moment that brings them into a courtroom. I would bring to the bench not only legal experience, but the perspective of a mother, wife, advocate, coach, and neighbor—someone who understands that justice must be principled enough to be firm and human enough to listen.