Candidates in contested Allamakee County Board of Supervisors race on this year’s Republican Primary Election ballot share their views as absentee voting gets underway prior to June 2 election

Tuesday, June 2 will be the Primary Election to determine which candidates will be representing their respective political parties in the 2026 General Election in November. An election notice listing the respective races in each of the Republican and Democratic parties will be published in an upcoming edition of this newspaper, listing races at the Federal, State and County levels of government for voters to make their selections in, along with additional ballot and election information.

In-person absentee voting for this year’s Primary Election begins Wednesday, May 13 and lasts through Monday, June 1 in the Auditor’s Office at the Allamakee County Courthouse in Waukon from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday each week.

The deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot be mailed to them for this year’s Primary Election is this coming Monday, May 18. A mailed absentee ballot may be requested from the Auditor’s Office by calling 563-568-3522.

Polling locations for the June 2 Primary Election Day will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and will be listed in the election notice information to be published in a future edition of this newspaper.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PRIMARY
In an effort to help inform voters prior to their venture to the polls June 2 or before they cast their absentee ballots prior to that June 2 Election Day, The Standard issued a questionnaire to each of the candidates in the local races being contested on this year’s Primary ballots, which would only be the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors race on the Republican ballot, where three such candidates will be listed and two seats being vacated on the board will be elected in November. The series of questions asked and each candidate’s responses to those questions begin on the Front Page of this week’s edition of The Standard and continue to additional pages inside this week’s issue.
In that Allamakee County Board of Supervisors race, two seats on the three-person board are up for election this November, as current board members Dan Byrnes and Dennis Keatley are not seeking re-election. This year’s Democratic Primary ballot has just one candidate listed, Jim Pladsen, running unopposed in this year’s Primary Election.

The Republican Primary ballot has three candidates listed who are vying for nomination to this year’s General Election ballot in November, with two of those candidates eligible to be nominated since there are two seats on the board up for election. Those Republican candidates include Joe Manning of Lansing, and Andrew Sires and Pat Stone, both of Waukon. The top two vote recipients in that Republican Primary race will earn nomination to the General Election ballot in November, where they will then square off with Pladsen. While Pladsen is running unopposed in this year’s Primary Election and, therefore, did not receive a Primary questionnaire, he and the two Republican nominees from the Primary will all be presented questionnaires as the November 3 General Election approaches as well.

OTHER COUNTY OFFICES
Additionally at the county level of government there are three other offices up for re-election this year, including the offices of Treasurer, Recorder and Attorney. The Democratic Primary ballot has no candidates listed for any of those offices. On the Republican Primary ballot, incumbent Nicki Smedsrud is seeking re-election to her Treasurer position and incumbent Anthony Gericke is doing likewise to his County Attorney position.
Although voters may notice that neither the Democratic nor Republican ballots in this year’s Primary Election have a candidate listed for the County Recorder’s race, current Allamakee County Recorder Karen Mathis has indicated that she will be seeking re-election without a political party affiliation in the General Election in November. Mathis has already filed the required Nomination Petition for Non-Partisan Office paperwork, with her choice of no party affiliation meaning she is not required to be on any Primary Election ballot but the filing of her non-partisan nomination petition guaranteeing that she will be on the General Election ballot in November.
“Running as a non-partisan candidate reflects my commitment to represent and serve all citizens equally, maintaining a high level of public trust,” Mathis further explained of her decision to seek re-election as a candidate with no political party affiliation.

MANY STATE RACES
Seven State of Iowa offices are up for election this year, with every one of those races having at least one candidate on each of the Democratic and Republican Primary Election ballots. The most localized of those State races will be in the House of Representatives in District 64 that covers all of Allamakee and Clayton Counties and a single northern township of Dubuque County, where incumbent Jason Gearhart is listed on the Republican Primary Ballot and Brian Bruening is listed on the Democratic Primary ballot.
The State of Iowa’s highest governing office will be occupied by someone new after this year’s General Election, as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has opted not to seek re-election. Rob Sand is the lone candidate listed on the Democratic Primary ballot for the office of Governor, while the Republican ballot has five candidates, including Eddie Andrews, Randy Feenstra, Zach Lahn, Brad Sherman and Adam Steen.
The only other contested race on this year’s Primary ballots at the State of Iowa level is on the Republican ballot for Auditor of State, where Chris Cournoyer and Abigail Maas are each vying for the Republican nomination to the General Election. The Democratic Primary ballot has only Taylor Wettach listed as a candidate for Auditor of State.
The remaining four State-level offices on this year’s Primary ballots all have just a single candidate on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Incumbent Secretary of State Paul Pate is seeking to be re-elected on the Republican ballot, while Ryan Peterman is seeking the Democratic nomination for that Secretary of State office.
Similarly, incumbent Treasurer of State Roby Smith is on the Republican ballot, with John Norwood listed on the Democratic ballot. The Secretary of Agriculture office has incumbent Mike Naig on the Republican ballot and Chris Jones listed on the Democratic ballot for this year’s Primary Election, and the office of Attorney General also has incumbent Brenna Bird on the Republican ballot and Nate Willems listed on the Democratic Primary ballot.

FEDERAL RACES
Both offices at the Federal level of government for Allamakee voters on this year’s Primary ballots have multiple candidates listed on each party’s ballot. Iowa’s District 2 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is the most congested, as the Democratic Primary ballot has three candidates listed, Kathy Dolter, Lindsay James and Clint Twedt-Ball, with the Republican ballot featuring two candidates in Charlie McClintock and Joe Mitchell.
The race for U.S. Senator on this year’s ballot to fill the vacancy left by Joni Ernst not seeking re-election has two candidates on each of the political party ballots. The Democratic ballot lists Josh Turek and Zach Wahls as candidates, and the Republican ballot lists Jim Carlin and Ashley Hinson, who is seeking to switch to the U.S. Senate from her current District 2 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

For the Primary Election, voters must declare themselves either as Republican or Democrat in order to be able to vote in the election, and will then mark their choices on the appropriate party ballot. For additional information about the June 2 Primary Election, visit the Allamakee County Election website at https://allamakeecountyelections.iowa.gov or call the Allamakee County Auditor’s Office at 563-568-3522.

Allamakee County Board of Supervisors - Republican (Manning, Sires, Stone)
Please provide some background information about yourself.

Manning: I am a lifelong resident of Allamakee County. I grew up on my grandfather’s farm just south of Lansing. My wife Christina and I are raising two girls (9 and 4), and we are proud to call this area home.
I currently work as an electrician at Systems Equipment in Waukon. I have also been serving on the Eastern Allamakee School Board since 2023. In addition, I have dedicated over ten years to the Lansing Fire Department, where I’ve served as both Assistant Chief and Training Officer.

Sires: I am a lifelong resident of Allamakee County. I was born and raised in New Albin. I graduated from Kee High in 1986, and other than my college years in Ames (Hopefully that doesn’t alienate you Hawkeye fans), I have lived here my entire life. I recently retired after 34 years of teaching and coaching in the Allamakee Community School District.  I have also been the voice of the Waukon Indians on local radio for the past eight years. I am currently enjoying a post-retirement occupation working at the Waukon Golf and Country Club. I previously served a two-year term on the Waukon City Council.

Stone: My name is Pat Stone. I went to school in Waukon and have been a lifelong Allamakee County resident. I grew up in rural Allamakee County in Hanover township. I grew up hunting and fishing for a pastime next to the Upper Iowa River and now I share those experiences with my four sons and grandson. I have four boys, Patrick Jr., Mason, Miles and Maverick, and my grandson Parker.
I was formerly the Mayor of Waukon for three terms. I enjoyed the position and feel that I helped make positive changes to the community. I ran for mayor for the same reason that I am running for county supervisor, I care about our community and our way of life, including our tax dollars.
I learned my work ethic by working on the farm, baling hay, cleaning calf pens and shoveling ear corn into the feed mill. I wasn’t fond of it then but feel lucky to have that work ethic instilled in me at a young age. I worked construction as a young adult, including masonry, welding and carpentry. In 2001 I started my own business, Stone Construction LLC, and it is still going in the present day. In 2019 a business partner and I formed WS Investments LLC. This consisted of rental properties around the tri-state area along with building the new Waterville Bar & Grill and purchasing Goodfellas in Waukon. We also purchased the trailer park in Postville and made drastic improvements to it. In the fall of 2025 I sold my shares of WS Investments and retained a few rental properties in Waukon and the Waterville Bar & Grill.

What motivated you to seek a seat on the County Board of Supervisors?

Sires: As a lifelong resident of Allamakee County and a retired school teacher, my motivation to seek a seat on the County Board of Supervisors comes from a deep-rooted commitment to the community that has shaped my life. For decades, I’ve had the privilege of working with our young people and their families, gaining a firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities we face. I’ve seen how decisions made at the local level directly impact education, infrastructure, and the overall quality of life in our county.
Now, in retirement, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to continue serving in a different capacity. I bring with me not only experience in leadership and problem-solving, but also a steady, practical approach to decision making grounded in listening and collaboration. Serving on the board is a natural extension of a lifetime spent working for the betterment of this community.

Stone: I heard that two individuals were running for County Supervisor and then checked with the auditor’s office to see if it was correct. I have seen first-hand what lack of leadership and common sense looks like in a council or board position. It is a great responsibility to represent our tax dollars and to make decisions on our community safety.
I had many people ask me to take on that responsibility and feel it is important that we have competent individuals that can be held accountable in office. I feel that I fit the job description. I do not have any personal grudges against anyone but I do not want a blind person driving a bus with my friends and family on board.

Manning: I find a great sense of purpose in serving my community and I truly enjoy it. I’m not running with an agenda or a list of complaints. I’m running to continue the success of our county and to serve the people who make it such a great place to live. I will always keep taxpayers in mind and work to ensure decisions are practical, responsible, and forward thinking.

As a candidate for Allamakee County Supervisor, what do you feel would be your ultimate responsibility to the citizens of the county, if elected?

Stone: Transparency, accountability and time. My responsibility to the citizens is to show up, put the time and effort into our budgets, ask questions to be informed, answer questions or find the answers, and attend the regular meetings along with the extra boards for our county and our neighboring counties. I will support our current employees, without them nothing functions, they run the show.

Manning: To be a responsible steward of tax dollars with transparency and honesty. Also, to ensure that every voice is heard.  I bring a common sense, level-headed approach to decision making, and a willingness to listen. I value open, honest, and respectful conversations and welcome the opportunity to connect with anyone in the community.

Sires: I want to help ensure that Allamakee County remains a place where families can thrive, where fiscal responsibility is balanced with thoughtful investment, and where the voices of residents are heard and respected.

If elected, what would be your issues of highest priority in helping direct county government?

Manning: I believe one of the keys to effective local government is having the right people in the right roles. Allamakee County is fortunate to have strong elected officials and dedicated employees who keep things running smoothly and efficiently. Supporting, retaining, and recruiting quality employees will be a priority.

Sires: My highest priority is to be accessible. I want residents to know their voices matter. Being a supervisor is not just about making decisions; it is about listening to concerns, understanding different viewpoints, and working collaboratively to find the best path forward. I will strive to cooperate with the department heads and represent all residents fairly and thoughtfully.

Stone: Being accessible, getting a feel of the position while learning what I can do to help. Our county employees and department heads keep things running. I want to make sure that when some of our staff is retiring that we have a suitable replacement.

What are the current issues, positive and/or negative, that you see facing Allamakee County, and what does your candidacy offer in either furthering the positive issues or remedying the negative issues?

Sires: On the positive side, we have a strong sense of community, a stable agricultural base, and growing tourism, particularly with the Mississippi River, outdoor recreation, and our natural beauty bringing more visitors each year. In fact, tourism has become a meaningful part of our local economy, generating over $30 million annually (NE IA Economic and Tourism website)  in visitor spending and supporting local businesses and jobs. Our natural resources, parks, and river access are major assets, but they require investment in maintenance, promotion, and infrastructure. I will try to support tourism growth without overspending or straining local resources.
Balancing tax relief with maintaining services is one of the most critical challenges we face. There is ongoing discussion at the State level about limiting property tax growth, which could provide relief but may also reduce the revenue counties rely on to fund essential services. This would affect us directly in areas such as road maintenance. Maintaining a large network of rural roads and bridges with limited and sometimes uncertain funding is an ongoing challenge. Again, I would work with department heads to be as efficient as possible.

Stone: Money spent, taxes and how to balance the two.

Manning: One challenge facing Allamakee County is the upcoming transition in leadership. As of January 1, 2027, the Board of Supervisors will lose a combined 16 years of experience, with two-thirds of the board stepping into the role for the first time. I feel the responsibility of the board is to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions that serve the best interests of county residents. With so much new leadership, it will be important to approach this role with a strong commitment to learning. If elected, I will prioritize putting in the time and effort necessary to fully understand the responsibilities of the position and ensure a smooth transition. I will actively seek out training, resources, and guidance to strengthen my ability to serve effectively.
I recognize that no single person can be an expert in every issue that comes before the board. When faced with unfamiliar or complex topics, I will take the initiative to research, ask questions, and collaborate with others to reach informed, responsible decisions. My goal is to contribute to a board that is prepared, transparent, and focused on making decisions that support the long-term success and stability of Allamakee County.