Mellick, Beyer and Koenig emerge from Republican Primary races for Allamakee County offices

The Primary Election results from Tuesday, June 5 in Allamakee County indicate change in a couple elected positions within the County's governing system. All contested races in this year’s Primary election were on the Republican ballot in Allamakee County, with no contested races on this year's Democratic ballot making for very low turn-out numbers among voting Democrats.
Overall voter turn-out was reported at 28.06% in Tuesday's election by the Allamakee County Auditor's Office.

COUNTY REPUBLICANS SQUARE OFF
A pair of current deputies from the Allamakee County Sheriff's office were vying on the Republican ballot for the office of Allamakee County Sheriff, which is open due to current Sheriff Tim Heiderscheit not seeking re-election. Clark Mellick garnered 64.2% of the voters’ support (1,533 votes) to win the Republican nomination for the office over John Grampovnik, who received 35.8% of the vote (855 votes).
The race for Allamakee County Auditor had three candidates vying for the Republican bid, including incumbent Pam Benjegerdes. Challenger Denise Beyer edged out Benjegerdes for the nomination, managing 46.2% of the vote (1,071 votes) in comparison to 38.35% (889 votes) for Benjegerdes. Challenger Lana Deeney-Snitker garnered 15.4% of the votes (357 votes) in that race.
The Allamakee County Board of Supervisors also had a contested race for the Republican nomination, with Dennis Koenig claiming 71.19% (1,594 votes) of that support, well ahead of Dan Bechtel’s 28.72% (643 votes).

UNCONTESTED COUNTY RACES
In addition to the three contested races in the Republican Primary for Allamakee County offices, there were also a pair of Democratic candidates for County offices who did not face opposition. Incumbent Supervisor Lennie Burke tallied 221 votes and Janice Thorson garnered 204 votes in the final Democratic Primary results.
Burke will now square off against Koenig for Burke's current County Supervisor seat up for re-election in the November General Election, with Thorson and Beyer being matched up in November's Auditor race. With no declared Democratic candidate for Sheriff, Mellick looks to enter November's General Election unopposed.

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Allamakee County voters also followed the overall District 1 trend in helping Ben Lange win the Republican nomination over Rod Blum for the U.S. Representative District 1 seat on the Primary ballot. Lange managed 57.81% (1,143 votes) of the Allamakee County support, with Blum finishing with 41.93% (829 votes). Districtwide, Lange's support was a bit less, sliding to 53.06% in totaling 13,152 votes while Blum totaled 11,508 votes for 46.43% of the districtwide support.
In the uncontested Democratic Primary for U.S. Representative District 1, Bruce Braley received 11,827 total votes districtwide. Of that total, just 226 votes came from Allamakee County voters.

AREA STATE RACES ALL UNOPPOSED
Races for State of Iowa offices impacting the local area all featured unopposed candidates on both the Republican and Democratic Primary ballots. In the newly-created District 28 of the Iowa Senate, Democrat John Beard of Decorah received 230 votes in Allamakee County and 1,021 votes districtwide to receive the unopposed Democratic bid. Republican Michael Breitbach of Strawberry Point tallied 1,869 votes in Allamakee County and 3,924 votes districtwide to win his party's unopposed bid. Those two are now set to square off in November's General Election.
Likewise, the new District 56 of the Iowa House of Representatives had uncontested Primary races on both ballots that saw current Iowa House District 16 Representative Bob Hager of Dorchester tally 2,080 votes in Allamakee County among his 2,444 votes districtwide. Democrat Patti Ruff of McGregor received 217 votes in Allamakee County on her way to a districtwide total of 349 votes to earn the Democratic nomination and set up a showdown with Hager in November.