Voters pick Andrews as next mayor

Incumbents returned to office in area cities

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The journey for mayor in Charles City ended Tuesday night with Dean Andrews winning the race.

Dean Andrews, a Charles City dentist and former City Council member, faced off against Matt Lovik, a Floyd County sheriffs deputy. Former Mayor James Erb did not seek re-election.

“I’m excited to be elected,” Andrews said. “I will try to move forward with the same campaign I talked about, to try to move Charles City in a positive and progressive direction.”

Lovik put a statement on Facebook concerning the election.

“Running for mayor has been a very humbling experience,” said Lovik in his post. “I have had the chance to hear a lot of what people expect from our city along with the changes they have wanted. In this process I have gotten a chance to meet Dean Andrews. I believe he has Charles City’s best interest at heart and will do what he can to move the city forward. He’s a good man.”

This is the first election where the new state voter identification requirements, passed by the Legislature this year, have been in effect.

Precinct election officials asked voters for an ID with a name, address and birthday. Voters who had moved since their original registration or whose ID didn’t match their current address had to have a proof of address, or cast a provisional ballot.

Libby Roth, a Charles City resident, ran into this situation and was forced to show a evidence that she lived in Charles City, because her driver’s license said she was a Waterloo resident.

“They said I couldn’t vote with my ID,” Roth said.

Finding physical evidence that Roth was a resident was difficult for her because she pays most of her bills online, she said.

“They said I could do a provisional vote,” Roth said. A provisional ballot is counted when the voter brings in a copy of either their identification or document that shows your address and name.

“We had a steady stream of people,” said Lois Henry, election official. “Maybe at the end of the day, we had 20 minutes where we didn’t have anybody.”

“We’ve been busy,” Henry said.

Henry’s precinct had 271 ballots cast over the day. There were a total of 1,188 total ballots cast in the Charles City election, and 1,657 overall in Floyd County.

“Typically in this kind of city election we don’t get that many, but today we had a lot,” Henry said.

There were no provisional ballots cast at Henry’s precinct.

“We had lots of people use the touch screen,” Henry said.

Henry’s precinct had people in and voting until the last two minutes of polling.
DeLaine Freeseman and Gerald “Jerry” W. Joerger both ran uncontested for their city council seats.

The results for for the third Marble Rock City Council at-large seat is still undetermined because of the high write-in amount. While the results are in, no one has officially won.

It’s not official until the board of canvassers, made up of the Floyd County Board of Supervisors, meets next Tuesday.

There is still time for candidates to request a recount. Friday, Nov. 17, is the deadline.

FLOYD COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS:

Charles City mayor

√ Dean Andrews 629  (53.7%)

• Matt Lovik 541  (46.2%)

Charles City Council (2 seats)

√ DeLaine Freeseman (i) 958  (51.4%)

√ Gerald W. Joerger (i) 870  (46.7%)

Colwell mayor

√ Jeff Wright (write-in) 10  (83.3%)

Colwell City Council (5 seats)

√ Judy Budwig (i) 13  (22.0%)

√ Jennifer Cross (write-in) 9  (15.3%)

√ Rachel Krause (write-in) 9  (15.3%)

√ Mark Kirsch (write-in) 7  (11.9%)

√ Roger Michael (write-in) 6  (10.2%)

Floyd mayor

√ Trevis K. O’Connell (i) 27  (90.0%)

Floyd City Council (2 seats)

√ Kevin Krueger (i)  22  (39.3%)

√ Charlie Newman (i)  27  (48.2%)

Marble Rock (3 seats)

√ J.R. Ackley (i) 44  (14.9%)

• Beverly Fisher 31  (10.5%)

• Gary L. Schmidt (i) 40  (13.6%)

√ Todd Schriever (i) 70  (23.7%)

• Kaylah Schweizer 20  (6.8%)

• Steven Wells 35  (11.9%)

• Write-ins 55  (18.6%)

Nora Springs mayor

• Write-in votes (results NA) 86  (100%)

Nora Springs City Council (2 seats)

• Larry Cross 56  (20.6%)

√ James Kraninger 118  (43.4%)

√ Margaret Ueker (i) 91  (33.5%)

Rockford mayor

√ Scott Johnson (i) 112  (91.8%)

Rockford City Council (3 seats)

√ Vernon Arndt (i) 48  (12.3%)

• N. Bruce Inman 46  (11.8%)

• Derek Johnson 41  (10.5%)

• Diane Marker 40  (10.3%)

√ Daniel Paulus 78  (20.0%)

• Michael J. Smith (i) 44  (11.3%)

√ Jason Stokes (i) 92  (23.6%)

Rudd mayor

√ Donna Lunsford 30  (58.8%)

Rudd City Council (2 seats)

• Jeffrey C. Buland 17  (16.0%)

√ Matthew A. Bouillon 36  (34.0%)

√ Mike Rachut 18  (17.0%)

• Tyler Scheer 31  (29.3%)

(i) — Incumbent / * Results unofficial until canvassed