Candidates representing local area express views on issues as November 4 election approaches

Voters will be heading to the polls Tuesday, November 4 for the 2014 General Election, with a wide variety of races being contested across the country at all levels of government. Polling information for Allamakee County is published to the right of this article on this same front page.
As has traditionally been the case with each election, The Standard has issued a questionnaire to each of the area candidates in the U.S. and Iowa House of Representatives and U.S. Senate races, as well as the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors race, in an attempt to further educate voters on the views of the candidates in those contested races of local impact. With the exception of the U.S. Senate race, responses were received from all candidates in the above-mentioned races and are published throughout this week’s print and e-editions of The Standard. In that U.S. Senate race, no questionnaire responses were returned by candidates Bob Quast and Ruth Smith, as well as Republican Joni Ernst following her recent stand regarding Iowa newspapers. U.S. Senate Libertarian candidate Douglas Butzier will also be listed in that race on this year's General Election ballot but was tragically killed October 13 when the small airplane he was piloting crashed near Dubuque.

PUBLIC MEASURE G
Voters in Allamakee County are also being asked to vote yes or no on Public Measure G in reference to funding for the proposed new construction of a Public Safety Center/County Jail facility. The measure reads as follows: "Shall the County of Allamakee, State of Iowa, enter into a loan agreement and issue general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding the amount of $4,900,000, for the purpose of acquiring real estate (if necessary), preparing a site, and constructing, furnishing and equipping a Public Safety Center that will provide space for the Sheriff's Department, Jail, Dispatch Center, Emergency Management Department, and E911 Department?".

COUNTY LEVEL
At the county level, three candidates are vying for two seats on the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors in the only contested race for any Allamakee County government office. Democrat Dan Byrnes and Republicans Larry Schellhammer and Sherry Strub are all seeking to fill the two seats up for election this year, both Schellhammer and Strub seeking re-election to those particular seats. The county offices of Attorney, Treasurer and Recorder are also up for re-election, with incumbent Republicans Jill Kistler, Lori Hesse and Debbie O'Hare Winke running unopposed in each respective race.
Additional area-only ballot items include choosing two local representatives for Soil and Water Conservation Directors and five members for the County Agricultural Extension Council (see sidebar in shaded box accompanying this article). A series of retention possibilities for judges in Iowa's court system will also appear on this year's ballot, as will a number of township trustees and clerks throughout the county.

STATE LEVEL
The state level of government features just one contested race for this particular area, as District 56 of the Iowa House of Representatives will have incumbent Democrat Patti Ruff of McGregor seeking re-election with a challenge from Republican Lowell Engle of Harpers Ferry. Additional State of Iowa races on the ballot within more administrative offices include incumbent Democrat Tom Miller facing a challenge from Republican Adam Gregg for Attorney General; incumbent Republican Bill Northey being challenged by Democrat Sherrie Taha and New Independent Party Iowa candidate Levi Benning for Secretary of Agriculture; incumbent Democrat Michael Fitzgerald taking on the challenge of Republican Sam Clovis and Libertarian Keith Laube for Treasurer; incumbent Republican Mary Mosiman facing a challenge from Democrat Jonathan Neiderbach for Auditor; Democrat  Brad Anderson, former Iowa Secretary of State Republican Paul Pate, Libertarian Jake Porter and Spencer Highland of New Independent Party Iowa all vying to replace outgoing Republican Secretary of State Matt Schultz, who is seeking a U.S. House of Representatives seat; and the incumbent Republican ticket of Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds facing a challenge from Democrats Jack Hatch and Monica Verdon, Jonathan Narcisse and Michael Richards of the Iowa Party, Libertarians Lee Deakins Hieb and Tim Watson, and Jim Hennager and Mary Margaret Krieg of the New Independent Party Iowa.

FEDERAL LEVEL
A pair of races with area representation at the federal level of government on this year's ballot feature the District 1 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Republican Rod Blum and Democrat Pat Murphy are seeking to fill the vacancy being left by former Representative Bruce Braley's efforts to, instead, be elected to Iowa's U.S. Senate seat left open by the retirement of fellow Democrat Tom Harkin. Braley is being joined in that run for Harkin's vacant U.S. Senate seat by Republican Joni Ernst, Bob Quast of the Bob Quast for Term Limits party, Ruth Smith of no named party affiliation, and Independent Rick Stewart.

November 4 General Election Polling Sites
Voters will be going to the polls Tuesday, November 4 to mark their ballots for a number of different races at the national, statewide and local levels of government. Below is a listing of Allamakee County polling sites for this year's General Election, with polling sites being open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Election Day, November 4.
•PRECINCT 1: Waterloo and Hanover Townships - St. Mary's Church, Dorchester
•PRECINCT 2: Portions of Union Prairie, Ludlow and Jefferson Townships, and all of Makee and French Creek Townships - Waukon Banquet Center
•PRECINCT 3: Post and Franklin Townships - Turner Hall, Postville
•PRECINCT 4: Postville City - Turner Hall, Postville
•PRECINCT 5: Paint Creek and Linton Townships, Waterville City - Waterville City Hall/Library
•PRECINCT 6: Taylor, Fairview Townships, Harpers Ferry City - Harpers Ferry Comm. Center
•PRECINCT 7: Lafayette, Center and Lansing Townships, Lansing City - Kerndt Brothers Savings Bank Community Center
•PRECINCT 8: Union City and lowa Townships, New Albin City - New Albin Community Center
•PRECINCT 9: City of Waukon Ward 1 - NICC Center
•PRECINCT 10: City of Waukon Ward 2 and portions of Jefferson, Ludlow Twps. - St. John's Lutheran Church
•PRECINCT 11: City of Waukon Ward 3 and portions of Union Prairie Township - Allamakee County Courthouse

ABSENTEE VOTING can also be accomplished in person through the Allamakee County Auditor's Office up until 5 p.m. Monday, November 3. Regular office hours are from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Auditor's Office will also be open Saturday, November 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for absentee voting. The last day a voter may request an absentee ballot to be mailed to them is Friday, October 31.