\'\'
Home   >   News   >   Local News   >   Election Day! Local Races Abound

Election Day! Local Races Abound

By on November 6, 2012
Top Story Logo

IT’S ELECTION DAY AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE LOCAL COUNTY AND LEGISLATIVE RACES WE’LL BE FOLLOWING:

IN DES MOINES COUNTY, THERE ARE FOUR CANDIDATES…REPUBLICANS DARWIN BUNGER AND JIM SEABERG…AND DEMOCRATS BOB BECK AND JIM CARY…FOR TWO SEATS ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. ONE OF THOSE SEATS IS CURRENTLY HELD BY BECK AND THE OTHER IS BEING VACATED BY DAN CAHILL…WHO’S RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

SPEAKING OF THAT, CAHILL IS TRYING TO UNSEAT LONG-TIME DEMOCRAT DENNIS COHOON…ALONG WITH REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER ANDREW WILSON. IN THE LOCAL STATE SENATE RACE, IT’S INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT TOM COURTNEY VERSUS FIRST-TIME CHALLENGER AND REPUBLICAN BRAD BOURN. A LITTLE FARTHER NORTH, DEMOCRAT SARA SEDLACEK IS CHALLENGING INCUMBENT GOP HOUSE MEMBER TOM SANDS.

BY THE WAY, DES MOINES COUNTY SHERIFF MIKE JOHNSTONE AND AUDITOR CAROL COPELAND…BOTH DEMOCRATS…ARE RUNNING UNOPPOSED…BUT THERE ARE FIVE CANDIDATES FOR FOUR OPENINGS ON THE COUNTY’S AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION COUNCIL. A NUMBER OF JUDGES…FROM DISTRICT ASSOCIATES TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT…ARE FACING RETENTION VOTES.

IN IOWA’S SECOND U-S CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT DAVE LOEBSCK IS BEING CHALLENGED BY REPUBLICAN JOHN ARCHER…AND THERE’S A THIRD NAME ON THE BALLOT…NOMINATED BY PETITION…ALAN AVERSA.

IN LEE COUNTY, TWO DEMOCRATS ARE COMPETING FOR ONE SEAT ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: RON FEDLER GOT ON THE BALLOT THE TRADITIONAL WAY…WHILE RICK CARTER DID IT BY PETITION.

IN THE LEE COUNTY AREA LEGISLATIVE RACES, DEMOCRAT RICH TAYLOR FACES REPUBLICAN…AND FORMER COUNTY BOARD MEMBER LARRY KRUSE(KROO-zee). ONE OF THEM WILL SUCCEED LONG-TIME STATE SENATOR GENE FRAISE, WHO RETIRED AT THE END OF THE LAST SESSION. IN THE HOUSE, NEWCOMER AND REPUBLICAN JIM STEFFEN IS CHALLENGING INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT JERRY KEARNS.

IN HENDERSON COUNTY ILLINOIS, THERE ARE 12 CANDIDATES…8 DEMOCRATS AND 4 REPUBLICANS…RUNNING FOR 11 SEATS ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. STATE’S ATTORNEY SCOTT MCCLINTOCK…CORONER KRIS BEALS…AND CIRCUIT COURT CLERK SANDRA KEANE ARE ALL RUNNING UNOPPOSED.

IN THE LEGISLATIVE RACES, IT’S INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT JOHN SULLIVAN AGAINST GOP CHALLENGER RANDY FRESE(FREEZ) FOR STATE SENATE…AND JIL TRACY IS UNOPPOSED FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE’S A DEMOCRAT.

IN THE 17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, REPUBLICAN INCUMBENT BOBBY SCHILLING FACES OFF AGAINST DEMOCRAT CHERI BUSTOS.

AND PART OF HENDERSON COUNTY…ALONG WITH HANCOCK AND MCDONOUGH COUNTIES…IS IN THE ILLINI WEST SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE VOTERS WILL DECIDE TODAY(TUE) ON A 9-MILLION DOLLAR REFERENDUM TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL.

IN HENRY COUNTY IOWA, SHERIFF ALAN WITMER’S NAME IS ON THE BALLOT, BUT HE’S NOT RUNNING. HE’S TAKEN A JOB IN TEXAS WITH THE U-S MARSHAL’S SERVICE. HIS CHALLENGER…RICH MCNAMEE…IS STILL RUNNING.