Harrison County Primary Election candidates set
Board of Supervisors race to go to a primary on June 2
By Isabelle Foland, Harrison County Times-Reporter
The filing deadline for elections passed, county races are taking shape for November’s general election, which does not feature any city elections.
The treasurer and recorder races are uncontested, with Shelia Phillips and Felicia Geith running for the two positions, respectively. Both Phillips and Geith filed as Republicans.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
The board of supervisors race, however, is more of a contest, with three candidates running for one open seat on the three-person board. All three candidates are Republicans.
Incumbent supervisor Brian Rife will face off in a June 2 primary against Lary Clark and Michele Stirtz.
Rife is seeking his second term on the board after being elected in 2022. Rife has a decades-long history of public service, ranging from city council involvement to the Mondamin Fire & Rescue Department. According to his campaign Facebook page, Rife is running again to continue to serve the people of the county and make it a better place for the next generation.
Clark, a long-time real estate agent and farmer, previously ran for county office in 2024 but was unsuccessful. At that time, Clark said his real estate background and formal education in political science gives him the necessary skills and knowledge to help make the county function.
Stirtz also ran for office in 2024 and lost in the election to current supervisor Rebecca Wilkerson. Stirtz is a Missouri Valley High School graduate and worked for nearly 40 years in higher education, including Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs and Clarkson College in Omaha. Her experience in higher education included registration records and offices as well as budget overview. Currently, Stritz substitute teachers at her alma mater high school.
House of Representatives, District 15
There are also a number of local candidates running for state office, specifically state District 15 for the Iowa House of Representatives, which encompasses southwestern Iowa. Those three candidates, all of which are Republican, include Bryan Holder, Jason Sherer, and Toni Waite. The three will also face off in the June primary.
Holder, of Council Bluffs, has run for the state house five different times, according to his campaign Facebook. Last year, Holder unsuccessfully ran for Pottawatomie County Auditor but garnered over 13,500 votes.
Holder is a St. Albert High School graduate and holds degrees from Iowa Western Community College, Bellevue University, and Creighton Law School. His four main campaign issues are smaller constituencies to improve representation, directly involving citizens in more governmental decisions, eliminating tax-funded GOP primaries, and making public forums for District 15 candidates free of charge.
Sherer is a farmer from Pisgah who is running on continuing conservative representation in the state house, according to his Facebook campaign. In addition to farming, Sherer also volunteers in the community. Sherer’s main campaign issues include upholding traditional family values, cutting taxes and governmental spending, supporting farmers and rural Iowa, supporting law enforcement and other public safety officials, and protecting parental rights in education.
Waite is a Woodbine resident who currently works as the city clerk. She is also the chair of the Harrison County Republican Party, according to her campaign website.
Her main campaign issues include keeping the government small and efficient, lowering taxes, protecting parental rights, upholding the Second Amendment, eliminating eminent domain, and supporting and protecting law enforcement, veterans, farmers, and children.
Absentee Voting Begins May 13
Absentee voting for the primary election for the board of supervisors begins May 13 and ends June 1. The first day to request a ballot by mail is March 24, and mail-in ballot requests end May 18.
The Harrison County Courthouse will also be open for early in-person voting on May 30.
On election day in November, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If an individual needs to find their polling place, they can go to the “Find Your Polling Place” search engine on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.
