No Primary needed, only one contested race for Waukon, Lansing city elections; Candidates for other communities and school boards must file by September 18

The filing deadline of August 28 has passed for candidates seeking the seats of Waukon Mayor or on city councils in both Waukon and Lansing. Filing results following that deadline indicate that races for those respective seats in the upcoming City/School Election will not require a Primary Election and have just one contested race out of the seven possible seats up for election this year.

Both the Waukon and Lansing communities have a primary form of election for city government seats which required an earlier filing deadline for candidates, but neither community will require a Primary Election prior to this year’s November 4 election because the number of candidates who filed nomination papers is not more than twice the number of seats to be filled for any office.

In Lansing, only the three incumbent candidates whose city council seats are up for election this year filed papers to continue their service to that community. Mike Manning, Steve Murray and Stan Schwartzhoff are each seeking re-election to their respective seats and will not be opposed after no other candidates filed papers.

In Waukon, current mayor Arvid Hatlan is the only candidate to file papers for that mayoral seat. Similarly, incumbent Waukon City Council members Steve Wiedner (Ward 1) and Tim Smedsrud (At-Large) are the only candidates to file papers in those races. However, the Ward 3 seat, currently occupied by Dave Blocker, will see a new representative, as Blocker did not seek re-election to his seat but two new candidates have filed papers in pursuit of that seat, Cassie Cahoon and Cole Spain.

The combined City/School Election that takes place in odd-numbered years is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4 of this year. Candidates who are interested in seeking seats on any of the school districts’ boards of directors in Allamakee County, or in seeking the city government seats coming up for election in any of the remaining Allamakee County communities (not including Waukon or Lansing, as described above), will now have until September 18 to file nomination papers for that upcoming November 4 election.

Both the Allamakee Community and Eastern Allamakee Community School Districts each have multiple seats up for election this year. In the Allamakee Community School District, one At-Large seat and the District 1 seat on the board are both up for election, with each holding four-year terms.

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District also has two seats up for election holding four-year terms, including one At-Large seat and the District 3 seat. Eastern Allamakee also has a pair of school board seats, in District 1 and District 2, up for election to fill a vacancy for a period of two-year terms each.

In regard to the City Election in the neighboring communities of Harpers Ferry, New Albin and Waterville, all three have their mayoral seats up for election, each for a two-year term. The five seats on the Waterville City Council are all up for election, each with a two-year term, and both the Harpers Ferry and New Albin communities each have two council seats up for election, with each of those being for four-year terms.

For further information on the upcoming City/School Election and filing requirements, call the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office at 563-568-3522. More information can also be found online at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov/ or https://sos.iowa.gov/city-elections.