GOP ticket full in June 3 primary

 RED OAK — Republicans will be busy at next week’s primary in both Montgomery County and throughout Iowa. 

There are several contested races for county and federal offices on the GOP ticket, including three seats on the Board of Supervisors. 

Three incumbent Montgomery County Supervisors are up for reelection and all three are facing challengers for the Republican nomination. 

There are no nominees for any of the offices on the Democratic ticket. 

Red Oak residents will be voting in one of two contested Supervisor races, depending on residency. 

Joshua Wiig is challenging  incumbent Karen Blue in the District Two race while Steve Ratcliff is seeking re-election in District One in a race against Steven Berendes. 

In District Four, Randall Tye’s name is on the ballot along with challengers Brian Coughlin and Mark L. Peterson. Tye however has declined several media requests for candidate information, including one from the Red Oak Express (see below). 

There isn’t much of a race for state representative as both Mark Costello (District 23) and Cecil Dolecheck (District 24) are running unopposed for the GOP nomination. No Democrat filed to challenge the incumbents in the November general election. 

There is quite a bit of competition though on the federal level, where five candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and six for the House of Representatives. 

Former Montgomery County Auditor and current Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst has pulled ahead in recent polls in the race for U.S. Senate. Other Republicans seeking the nomination include Mark Jacobs, Matt Whitaker, Schott Schaben and Sam Clovis. 

The winner of the primary will face the lone Democratic nominee, Bruce Braley, in the November election for Tom Harkin’s seat. The longtime Democrat announced in 2013 he would be not be seeking re-election.

Tom Latham, a Republican who served multiple terms in Congress is not seeking re-election as well, leaving six candidates seeking the GOP nomination. They include Brad Zaun, David Young, Monte Shaw, Matt Schultz, Joe Grandanette and Robert Cramer. 

Staci Appel is the lone Democratic nominee for the Congressional seat. 

The only other contested race on the ballot is for the GOP-nomination for governor. Five-time incumbent Terry Branstad is being challenged by Tom Hoefling with the winner facing Jack Hatch in the general election. 

Deadline to vote absentee, in-person at the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office is Monday, June 2, at 5 p.m. The auditor’s office is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and will also be open Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon for early voting. 

On Election Day, policing places will be open from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Iowa law allows eligible residents to register and vote at the polls on Election Day. An Election Day registrant must provide acceptable proof of identity and current residence in the precinct.