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Lee County has state Senate, House races, and supervisor contests
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| Poll workers (foreground) at the Heritage Center in Keokuk help voters sign up in today’s general election while voters cast their ballots in the booths at right. There was a line of people waiting to vote when the polling place opened at 7 a.m. today. The polls are open until 9 p.m. today in Iowa. |
By Joe Benedict/MVM News Network
It was two weeks after the 2006 mid-term election when then Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack returned to his hometown of Mount Pleasant and announced he was seeking the presidency of the United States, kicking off a two-year journey of presidential politics that will culminate Tuesday when Americans head to their polling places.
The presidential field has been narrowed to two main candidates. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama outlasted a hard-fought primary season with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton to become the Democratic nominee. He has selected Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate.
For the Republican ticket, Sen. John McCain of Arizona made a comeback in the primary to beat the likes of Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney for the GOP nod. He surprised many by picking Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Unless independent Ralph Nader, Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney or Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr pull off the biggest upset in history, this will be the first time since 1960 a sitting senator has won the race for the White House.
The residents of Lee County and Iowa have other races to consider.
There are three seats on the Lee County Board of Supervisors that will be decided. Two of those do not have an incumbent running.
The race with the incumbent is for District 1 where Larry Kruse, the Republican incumbent, is facing Democratic challenger Mike Fraise.
Kruse is finishing his first term on the board. Kruse said he'd like to stay on the board to help the county continue to seek economic development opportunities. He and the board have concentrated on being economical with tax dollars and have the Lee County Jail renovation and expansion underway.
Kruse said when he ran four years ago he made a promise to residents that he would work in their best interest. He said every decision he makes is to protect the interest of the county.
Fraise said he has experience and knowledge in several areas the county deals with daily. He said he has operated all types of road maintenance equipment so he has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to keep the roads maintained. His work at the Iowa State Penitentiary has giving him insight into law enforcement, he said.
Dealing with prisoners gives him ideas of how to continue the jail project, he said. His number one goal is to keep the construction of the new Iowa State Penitentiary on track.
The other two seats for the board are in the Keokuk area. District 4 is represented by George Morgan, who decided not to run again. This district covers the southern half of Keokuk and Jackson Township. Former Keokuk Mayor Gary Folluo is the Democratic candidate for the district's seat. He is facing GOP challenger Ryan Walrath, a veterinarian, a 1990 graduate of Keokuk High School and a graduate of the University of Missouri.
District 5 is comprised of the north side of Keokuk. This race has developed into a three-person contest. The Democratic candidate is Janet Fife-LaFrenze. She is a former teacher, former Keokuk City Council member and a member of the Southeastern Iowa Community College board of trustees. The Republican challenger is Mike O'Connor, a Keokuk City Council member.
Also in the race is Matt Pflug. He lost to Fife-LaFrenze in the Democratic primary and petitioned to be on the ballot. He is a former Lee County supervisor.
Phil Wise, D-Keokuk, decided to retire from the Iowa House of Representatives from District 92. Gary Ramaker, a retired Keokuk police officer and Republican, and Jerry Kearns, a Democrat, are running for Wise's old seat. Kearns has served as a Lee County supervisor in the past. The 92nd District covers the southern half of Lee County, including Keokuk and Fort Madison.
The 91st District seat also will be decided tomorrow. Long-time incumbent Dave Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, is taking on Democratic challenger Ron Fedler. Heaton is a retired restaurateur and has served in the Iowa House eight terms. Fedler is the former mayor of West Point, has owned his own business in West Point and works as a correctional officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary.
Area voters also will decide who will represent them in Des Moines in the Iowa Senate. Sen. Gene Fraise, D-Fort Madison, has served more than 20 years in the Senate. He is facing Doug Abolt, R-Donnellson, who narrowly missed a victory for the same seat in 2004. The 46th District includes all of Lee and Henry counties.
Choices for national office will include the U.S. House of Representatives' Second District seat. Democrat Dave Loebsack surprised many by beating long-time Congressman Jim Leach for the seat two years ago. He now faces Republican challenger Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin has been in that position from Iowa since 1985. He also had an unsuccessful run for president in 1992. His opponent in this election is Republican Christopher Reed. Reed, like Harkin, is a Navy veteran. He is originally from Solon in eastern Iowa. After the Navy he began his own business, which he's been operating for 10 years.
The presidential field has been narrowed to two main candidates. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama outlasted a hard-fought primary season with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton to become the Democratic nominee. He has selected Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate.
For the Republican ticket, Sen. John McCain of Arizona made a comeback in the primary to beat the likes of Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney for the GOP nod. He surprised many by picking Alaska's Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Unless independent Ralph Nader, Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney or Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr pull off the biggest upset in history, this will be the first time since 1960 a sitting senator has won the race for the White House.
The residents of Lee County and Iowa have other races to consider.
There are three seats on the Lee County Board of Supervisors that will be decided. Two of those do not have an incumbent running.
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Kruse is finishing his first term on the board. Kruse said he'd like to stay on the board to help the county continue to seek economic development opportunities. He and the board have concentrated on being economical with tax dollars and have the Lee County Jail renovation and expansion underway.
Kruse said when he ran four years ago he made a promise to residents that he would work in their best interest. He said every decision he makes is to protect the interest of the county.
Fraise said he has experience and knowledge in several areas the county deals with daily. He said he has operated all types of road maintenance equipment so he has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to keep the roads maintained. His work at the Iowa State Penitentiary has giving him insight into law enforcement, he said.
Dealing with prisoners gives him ideas of how to continue the jail project, he said. His number one goal is to keep the construction of the new Iowa State Penitentiary on track.
The other two seats for the board are in the Keokuk area. District 4 is represented by George Morgan, who decided not to run again. This district covers the southern half of Keokuk and Jackson Township. Former Keokuk Mayor Gary Folluo is the Democratic candidate for the district's seat. He is facing GOP challenger Ryan Walrath, a veterinarian, a 1990 graduate of Keokuk High School and a graduate of the University of Missouri.
District 5 is comprised of the north side of Keokuk. This race has developed into a three-person contest. The Democratic candidate is Janet Fife-LaFrenze. She is a former teacher, former Keokuk City Council member and a member of the Southeastern Iowa Community College board of trustees. The Republican challenger is Mike O'Connor, a Keokuk City Council member.
Also in the race is Matt Pflug. He lost to Fife-LaFrenze in the Democratic primary and petitioned to be on the ballot. He is a former Lee County supervisor.
Phil Wise, D-Keokuk, decided to retire from the Iowa House of Representatives from District 92. Gary Ramaker, a retired Keokuk police officer and Republican, and Jerry Kearns, a Democrat, are running for Wise's old seat. Kearns has served as a Lee County supervisor in the past. The 92nd District covers the southern half of Lee County, including Keokuk and Fort Madison.
The 91st District seat also will be decided tomorrow. Long-time incumbent Dave Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, is taking on Democratic challenger Ron Fedler. Heaton is a retired restaurateur and has served in the Iowa House eight terms. Fedler is the former mayor of West Point, has owned his own business in West Point and works as a correctional officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary.
Area voters also will decide who will represent them in Des Moines in the Iowa Senate. Sen. Gene Fraise, D-Fort Madison, has served more than 20 years in the Senate. He is facing Doug Abolt, R-Donnellson, who narrowly missed a victory for the same seat in 2004. The 46th District includes all of Lee and Henry counties.
Choices for national office will include the U.S. House of Representatives' Second District seat. Democrat Dave Loebsack surprised many by beating long-time Congressman Jim Leach for the seat two years ago. He now faces Republican challenger Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa.
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin has been in that position from Iowa since 1985. He also had an unsuccessful run for president in 1992. His opponent in this election is Republican Christopher Reed. Reed, like Harkin, is a Navy veteran. He is originally from Solon in eastern Iowa. After the Navy he began his own business, which he's been operating for 10 years.
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