Candidates in area contested races express perspectives prior to November 8 General Election
Voters are scheduled to go to the polls Tuesday, November 8 to cast their selections for the 2016 General Election. A sample ballot of the respective races within each level of government in this year's election was published on Page 4B in the October 26 issue of this newspaper.
A listing of polling sites for all 11 of the county's precincts was also printed on Page 4B in that October 26 issue. Election polls will be open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
INFORMED CHOICES
In an effort to help inform voters prior to their venture to the polls November 8, The Standard issued a questionnaire to each of the candidates in the area races being contested on this year’s General Election ballot. The series of questions asked and each candidate’s responses to those questions begins below and continues to additional pages, as noted, inside this week’s issue.
The questionnaires were sent to candidates who are vying for a position that has more party candidates running for the position than the ballot instructions indicate to vote for. For example, there are two candidates for Allamakee County Board of Supervisors but the ballot instructs voters to vote for no more than one.
In fact, that race for Allamakee County Board of Supervisors is the only local governmental election featuring a contested race, as Republican incumbent Dennis Koenig of Postville is being challenged by Mark Reiser of Lansing for that seat coming up for election. Koenig had narrowly defeated Reiser in the June Republican Primary Election earlier this year, but Reiser is challenging Koenig again in the General Election as a candidate unaffiliated with any political party.
Candidates in uncontested County government races also listed on this year's General Election ballot include local incumbent Republican candidates Denise Beyer and Clark Mellick for Allamakee County Auditor and Sheriff, respectively. Both Beyer and Mellick are from Waukon.
In non-partisan elections at the County level, voters will get to choose members of the Allamakee County Soil and Water Conservation Commission and Allamakee County Agricultural Extension Council. The Soil and Water Commission ballot item features three open seats and has candidates Michael McCormick, Michael O'Hare and Josh Dee listed. Likewise, the Ag Extension Council has candidates Brittany Tilleraas, Nate Gebel, Blake Everman and Annette Stock listed for four vacancies (see shaded box on this same page). Township Trustee candidates will also be listed on their respective polling site ballots.
STATE LEVEL
The only other contested race featuring a declared local candidate on this year's General Election ballot is for District 56 of the Iowa House of Representatives, where Republican challenger Kristi Hager of Waukon will square off against incumbent Democrat Patti Ruff of McGregor. The District 28 State Senate race features a trio of candidates, including Republican incumbent Michael Breitbach of Strawberry Point and challengers Jan Heikes, a Democrat from Decorah, and Troy Hageman, a Libertarian candidate from Calmar.
FEDERAL LEVEL
The race for U.S. Senator is the most involved of the non-presidential races, as five candidates are listed on this year's ballot. Long-time incumbent Republican Charles Grassley is being challenged by Democrat Patty Judge, Libertarian Charles Aldrich, unaffiliated candidate Michael Luick-Thrams, and Jim Hennager of the New Independent Party Iowa. Hennager was the lone candidate out of that mix who did not return The Standard's questionnaire, so does not appear in that race's candidate feature in this edition.
The race for Iowa's District 1 U.S. Representative features incumbent Republican Rod Blum being challenged by Democrat Monica Vernon. And, of course, the race for President/Vice President of the United States features the Democrat team of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine and the Republican team of Donald Trump and Mike Pence, along with eight other pairs of third-party or unaffiliated candidates listed on the ballot.
JUDICIAL RETENTION
Not to be missed on the back of this year's General Election ballot, eight different judges are listed for possible retention in their current offices. Those eight include Daryl L. Hecht, Brent R. Appel and Mark S. Cady on the Iowa Supreme Court, Amanda Potterfield, Gayle Vogel, David R. Danilson and Richard H. Doyle on the State of Iowa Court of Appeals, and Michael J. Shubatt of Iowa District Court 1A.
ABSENTEE VOTING
Voters not able to go to the polls on Election Day may vote absentee in person during the regular office hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office through 4 p.m. Monday, November 7. Saturday, November 5 the Auditor’s Office in the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for absentee voting. A request for an absentee ballot by mail must be made by Friday, November 4 on an Official Absentee Ballot Request Form available at the Auditor’s Office or downloaded from the Allamakee County website: www.allamakee.us or the Iowa Secretary of State’s website: www.sos.iowa.gov.
For election information, contact Allamakee County Commissioner of Elections Denise Beyer at 563-568-3522 or dbeyer@co.allamakee.ia.us.
The full article with candidate responses is available in the November 2 print and e-edition of The Standard. You can subscribe to The Standard's print edition or e-edition by clicking here.
