Election results released

The 2006 General Election has come to a close, and the overall results from Allamakee County voters pretty much follow the statewide trend within those offices being contested on other than an immediate local basis. Vote percentages for most of those state and federal government candidates on the Allamakee County ballots fell well within the same range when area tallies were compared to statewide results, with voter turn-out in Allamakee County coming in at just under 50% for this election.

COUNTY OFFICES

Outside of those state and federal races, voters in Allamakee County also faced a choice for two open Board of Supervisors seats with this election, having to choose from three candidates this time around. The final results stayed true to past history, as the two incumbent Supervisor candidates seeking re-election - Democrat Lennie Burke and Republican Kathy Campbell - were both returned to their respective seats, Burke garnering 2,742 votes and Campbell securing 2,463 votes. Challenging candidate nominated by petition, Douglas Mullen, finished third in the race with 1,966 votes.

Three other races for Allamakee County offices had no opposing candidates within them, as incumbent Republicans were all re-elected to those seats. Treasurer Lori Hesse (3,739 votes), Recorder Debbie O'Hare Winke (3,566 votes) and Attorney William Shafer (3,309 votes) were those unopposed incumbents re-elected.

FEDERAL, STATE AREA DISTRICT RACES

In the race for Iowa House of Representatives District 16, incumbent Republican Chuck Gipp was re-elected to his longtime seat with 5,776 total votes, with Democratic challenger Thomas Hansen receiving 3,954 votes. Allamakee County results within that District 16 total (which also includes the eastern half of Winneshiek County) were slightly less favorable to Gipp, as he managed a slightly lower percentage of the vote (57.7% compared to a district-wide approval of 59%), but still was the top vote-getter by a count of 2,744 votes to 2,010.

In a similar pattern for Allamakee County voters, the U.S. House of Representatives District 4 race saw less local favor for incumbent Republican Tom Latham (54%) than on a district-wide basis (57%). Latham, however, did buck what has been called the "Democratic Storm" from this year's election and defeated challenger Selden Spencer by an overall count of 120,984 votes to 90,359, including a bit closer margin of 2,465 to 2,117 votes in Allamakee County.

STATEWIDE OFFICES

Following very similar patterns from across Iowa, the three contested statewide races on this year's ballot all fell in line for Allamakee County voters in comparison to statewide results.

The race for Iowa's Governor showed an overall approval margin of 53.99% for the Democratic tandem of Chet Culver and Patty Judge, with Allamakee County following suit with a very similar percentage of 54.39%. Allamakee voters gave Culver/Judge a 2,635 to 2,127 advantage over Republicans Jim Nussle and Bob VanderPlaats, with Culver/Judge winning the race statewide by a count of 565,657 votes to 466,757.

In Culver's vacated office of Secretary of State, Allamakee County voters were even closer to the statewide percentages, as Democrat Michael Mauro gained 2,487 votes (53.89%) to Republican Mary Ann Hanusa's 2,126 votes (46.07%) in Allamakee County. The statewide totals showed Mauro with 538,108 votes (53.6%) to Hanusa's 465,871 votes (46.4%).

The Secretary of Agriculture's race was a bit further off the mark between Allamakee County voters and statewide results. In either case, Republican Bill Northey was given the nod by slight margins, garnering 2,322 votes (50.03%) in Allamakee County and 520,357 vote (51.29%) statewide. O'Brien finished just four votes shy in Allamakee County, with 2,318 votes (49.95%), and a bit further off statewide, with 494,248 votes (48.71%).

Additional statewide candidates on the ballot running unopposed in their respective bids for re-election received the following results in Allamakee County:

• State Auditor David Vaudt (R), 3,067 votes

• State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald (D), 3,284 votes

• State Attorney General Tom Miller (D), 3,368 votes.

OTHER BALLOT ITEMS

Within the respective township elections throughout Allamakee County, the following trustees and clerks were elected:

Waterloo: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Donald Straka.

Hanover: Trustee - Mark Howe; Clerk - Robert Larkin.

Union Prairie: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Write-In.

Makee: Trustee - Daniel Bieber; Clerk - William Steffenson.

French Creek: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Bernard Welsh.

Jefferson: Trustee - Gregory Kerndt; Clerk - Walter Halvorson.

Ludlow: Trustees (2) - Randy Kruger and Wayne Fish; Clerk - Milo Kloke.

Post: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Write-In.

Franklin: Trustee - Oswald Goettler; Clerk - Diane Kraus.

Paint Creek: Trustees (2) - Elmo Hagen and Kent McCormick; Clerk - Virgil Thorstenson.

Linton: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Write-In.

Taylor: Trustee - Ron Cota; Clerk - Tom Cota.

Fairview: Trustee - Russell Jones; Clerk - Mary Wachter.

Lafayette: Trustees (2) - Jean Gavin and Mark Kruse; Clerk - Write-In.

Center: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Dawn Schlitter.

Lansing: Trustee - Write-In; Clerk - Write-In.

Union City: Trustee - George Beardmore; Clerk - Carol Renk.

Iowa: Trustee - Donald Hitchins; Clerk - Write-In.

Two other countywide ballot items involved the election of resident representatives as Soil and Water Conservation Directors and members of the Agriculture Extension Council. Two candidates, Daniel Byrnes (3,002 votes) and Jack Knight (2,101 votes) were elected as Soil and Water Conservation Directors. All five candidates on the ballot for the Extension Council were also elected with the following totals: Brad Kerndt (2,576); Michelle Donahue (2,546); Steve Hanson (2,457); Greg Lage (2,218); and Carroll Schreiber (2,109).

In the Judicial Retention questions on this year's ballot, all seven judges listed received approval from Allamakee County voters, all of them by percentages of 66% or greater. The following results were reported for Allamakee County:

Court of Appeals: John C. Miller - 2,286 Yes, 648 No; Anuradha Vaitheswaran - 1,789 Yes, 896 No; Van Zimmer - 1,929 Yes, 728 No.

District 1A: Monica Ackley - 2,140 Yes, 706 No; John Bauercamper - 2,770 Yes, 604 No; Margaret Lingreen - 2,477 Yes, 672 No; Randal Nigg (Associate Judge) - 2,185 Yes, 719 No.