Comments and endorsements County Attorney – Auditor – Treasurer – Recorder – Supervisors
County Attorney
Unopposed for the Republican nomination is Kelly Cunningham Haan an experienced former prosecutor within the Scott County Attorney office. Experienced Former law enforcement personnel and another alumnus of the office who we know are very supportive of her candidacy and that is enough to make us hopeful of finally getting that office out of Democrat hands. Incumbency, short of scandal means everything for that office. It is an open seat this go-around. Haan is a good candidate and Republicans need to get behind the race aggressively. The Democrats have a candidate unopposed for their nomination. Given that it is an open seat we will be curious to see how much of the money the Democrat raises will come from out of state, including wherever George Soros funded organizations write their checks.
County Auditor
Republican incumbent by appointment Kerry Tompkins is unopposed for the Republican nomination. We wish her well. She replaced multi-term Democrat Roxanna Moritz who retired soon after the 2020 election where her office took scads of money from Zuckerberg to help run the Democrat GOTV operation. Some of her retirement comments imply that she could not cope with election integrity rules and concepts passed by the legislature. The office had been held by Democrats who eat drink and sleep even petty political maneuvering, whatever they can get away with, for decades. It was always nice for them to have the “watchful eye” of a Democrat County Attorney as well. The Democrats have an unopposed candidate with no government or political experience and largely irrelevant work experience. The general election will witness Democrat machine politics. Incumbency is a big factor with no party voters so hopefully that will sustain efforts in November to install election integrity as a hallmark of the office.
County Treasurer
A sitting Republican Supervisor Tony Knobbe is unopposed for the nomination. The Democrats have not fielded a candidate to be on the ballot. This is a bit surprising in that with an open seat a Democrat who wants the chance could have had the nomination. They can fill the line for the November ballot after a county convention call.
The sitting Treasurer – Republican Mike Fennelly is retiring to return to private business. We were a bit surprised as the seat seemed a family legacy. If Knobbe is elected in the general, which is arguably odds-on at this point, because his term does not end until 2024 there will be a vacancy and we believe that a special election will ensue for his Supervisor position.
Country Recorder
Unopposed for the Republican nomination is Michele Darland. As a local leader in the non-profit fund-raising world Darland is well seasoned in the importance and practice of administrative attention to detail and is a good candidate for the Recorder position. We wish her well. The Democrats have multi-term incumbent Rita Vargas unchallenged on their primary ballot. If one is a Democrat, one might be impressed that Vargas has a long time donor history to the usual suspects indicating she is as partisan as they come.
The positions of Recorder, Auditor and Treasurer are important on a partisan basis in part, besides policy preferences influenced by conservative/ liberal proclivities underpin their responsibilities, but also because those offices comprise under the Iowa Code an executive panel to fill Supervisor vacancies (deaths and resignations) in interims between county elections (special elections can be called via petition to fill such vacancies if done in a timely manner).
Previously Democrats held the Auditor and Recorder positions giving them a majority on the vacancy panel to fill Supervisor vacancies. That was relevant recently due to a potential situation involving an alleged conflict of interest regarding dual elected roles where the two Dem office holders at the time (Auditor and Recorder) lusted to make an appointment to fill a declared vacancy on the Board, — actually an opinion by the Democrat County Attorney. That maneuver was subsequently established as legally in error and or moot via legislative action along with a judicial ruling.
The situation points out the potential for two Dems on such a vacancy panel to create a Dem majority on the Board of Supervisors by flipping a seat held by one of the five members of the Board of Supervisors should something happen. A flip of one vote when the party spread is 3 to 2 changes the complexion of the Board. Compounding that factor last year was the potential for their mischief to put them in the position to insure the appointment of a Dem to be Auditor (which Supervisors appoint in any interim) because the then Democrat Auditor Moritiz was figuring on retiring (quitting) only two months into her term.
County Supervisor
Vote for Lane on the Republican ballot
Democrats have five people on Tuesday’s primary ballot vying to be listed as one of the three Democrat positions on the general election ballot. They have one incumbent in the mix, Kinzer, who supported the Democrat maneuverings outlined above. They also have the perennial candidate of late — tort lawyer — affirmative action/ ACLU/LULAC champion– Jazmin Newton. There are three other lesser-knowns.
Four Republican are on the primary ballot vying for the three ballot positions in the general election. They include incumbent John Maxwell, also Jennifer Lane, Ross Paustian and Jean Dixon. While we will be supporting the Republican candidates in the general (continued membership in the Democrat Party is just a non-starter for anything, even for proverbial sewer commissioner – because at this point, to run under the banner of those who are the architects of disintegration in our culture our economy our nation — is a serious character defect.
We are sorely disappointed in three of the Republicans — Maxwell, Paustian and Dixon for not responding to the River Cities Reader questions for Supervisor candidates. The questions had four main themes — transparency in Board affairs, election integrity/private funding of elections, COVID related mandates and interventions, Quad City Airport taxation. See the full article here.
The weekly River Cities Reader has reach and influence with appeal to a variety of readers. On the matters addressed one can easily presume the editorial position of the newspaper however in our observation over the years respondents are given space for their considered thoughts. Politicians grouse about and protest surveys because they are skewed or not worth the time. As a political operative I get that in some cases, but I also know that nearly all respond to at least some — especially as regards outreach to constituencies they want to attract or have a chance at.
That three of the Republicans would decline to respond to the River Cities Reader publication, even with a bare yes or no, questions which ought to be easy enough to elaborate on, even if the response is repetitive, indicates poor political processing or their own hand-ringing.
Jennifer Lane was the only Republican to respond to these major questions and for that, and because of her responses, stands out policy wise from the pack. Four of the Democrats responded, often with answers we heartily disagree with, however they did seem to be for transparency and video of Board functions (something Crotch Croken is probably not so sure about).
We are content with a bullet vote for Jennifer (McAndrew) Lane in the primary. The other three Republicans can sort themselves out. They all have pedigrees we can ascribe to when it comes to the general election vs Democrats but their failure to respond to a publication on matters that will likely have to be addressed in some way as Supervisors is a disappointment we needn’t countenance now. This is the time to be choosey.
Some have suggested that Lane as County Supervisor, who is married to Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane would have a conflict of interest. There is no secret or subterfuge going on. She has advocated for transparency in all Board policy matters. This is open, above board, the voters are not being denied information.
J Lane has staked out a position that public safety would be a top priority. That is a position we want widely held. She is also a candidate who brings a unique position to the race as a probation/parole officer in the federal system (she does not work in the state/ county system) but she understands issues of crime and recidivism — matters the board faces. Accordingly, as to critics we would like to know which of her positions vis a vis the Sheriff’s office are untoward in a self-serving way? Scott County has professional administrators and a civil service system. Knowing of J Lane’s independence, and both her and the Sheriff’s integrity, there may be conflicts but of the disagreement kind.
J Lane has been part of Republican events, supported Republican candidates, forthrightly advocated for causes opposed to bureaucratic tyrannies. We support her candidacy.
