ELECTION DAY 2022: A single contested race highlights local elections

STAFF REPORT

A lone contested race for a supervisor’s seat is the headliner during the 2022 mid-term election cycle. Election Day is set for Tuesday, Nov. 8 with polls closing at 8 p.m.

Dan Benitz (R) and Mike Holden (D) will square off for the open Greene County board of supervisors district 3 seat, the only local race that isn’t uncontested.  
Benitz was born and raised in Kansas but has lived in Greene County since 1971. He’s been a member of Kiwanis since 1972, which includes a stint as former club president.

Benitz has also taught at Greene County schools, supervising the construction of 16 student-built homes. Additionally, Benitz served on the Jefferson city council in 2016, but stepped down before the end of his term.
Holden is a life-long Greene County resident and owns and operates Moo Meats. He served for more than 14 years on the Greene County and Jefferson-Scranton school board and ran once before for a supervisor’s seat, going up against Dawn Rudolph in 2011, but lost. He’s a local farmer and a cattleman.

Other notable local races are as follows:
• Dawn Rudolph (R) is running unopposed for the district 2 supervisor seat.
• Incumbent Deb McDonald (D) has spent 17 years in the Greene County recorder’s office. She is running unopposed for another term as county recorder.
• Incumbent Katlynn Mechaelsen (R) is running unopposed for the county treasurer, seeking her second term.
• Current Greene County attorney Thomas Laehn is running unopposed as a libertarian, in search of his second term.
• Also on the ballot are five open seats for the county public hospital trustees, which is a non-partisan race. The five candidates are: Douglas Carman, James Schleisman, Bill Raney, Angela Jewett and Katherine Neese.
• A pair of candidates are running uncontested for the two open soil and water conservation district spots, and they are Bill Frederick and Andy Krieger.
• Five candidates are running for the five open seats on the county agricultural council as well. They include: Jeff Lamoureux, Tracy Deal, Bruce Bahnson, Pam Olerich, and Keith Pedersen.  

CANDIDATES AT THE STATE LEVEL
The most notable state-wide race is for governor. Incumbent Kim Reynolds (R) is squared up against Democrat Deidre DeJear as well as Libertarian Rick Stewart. A few other state-wide races are up for grabs, as Joel Miller (D) and Paul D. Pate will vie for the secretary of state spot while Todd Halbur (R) will do battle with Rob Sand (D) in the auditor’s race.
Local voters will also decide on a candidate for House District 47, includes all of Greene and Guthrie counties and part of Dallas County. The candidates running are Carter Nordman (R) and Gary Overla (D).
Long-time incumbent Chuck Grassley (R) is up against Michael Franken (D) for the United States Senator seat. Cindy Axne (D) will match up with Zach Nunn (R) for the United States district 3 representative seat.

WHAT’S AT STAKE
A pair of vital ballot questions will also greet voters as they head to the polls.
• The first question reads:

Shall the following amendment to the
Constitution be adopted?
Summary: Provides that the right of the people of Iowa to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes the right to keep and bear arms as a fundamental right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.
Full Text:
“Article I of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is amended by adding the following new section: Right to keep and bear arms. Sec. 1A. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be
subject to strict scrutiny.”

• The other ballot question pertains to the construction of a new Greene County jail. The exact wording of the question on local ballots reads as follows:
“Shall the County of Greene, State of Iowa, authorize a loan agreement and issue its General Obligation Capital Loan Notes in an amount not exceeding the amount of $12,685,000 for the purpose of designing, constructing, equipping, furnishing and making land site improvements for a new Greene County Jail?”

The bond issue requires an approval rate of 60 percent to pass. More information can be found on page 1.

WHERE TO VOTE
There are six polling locations in Greene County.

The central precinct site is at Clover Hall on the Greene County fairgrounds in Jefferson. The east precinct will vote at St. Brigid Parish Center (602 Hager Street) in Grand Junction.
Jefferson 1 and Jefferson 2 are at the Greene County Community Center in Jefferson while the north precinct location is at the community center in Churdan. The west precinct will vote at the city hall in Scranton.

The polls will be open at 7 a.m on Election Day, Nov. 8, closing at 8 p.m.

All absentee ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8.