Candidates finalized for Nov. 4 general election

(Article was updated Sept. 25 8:10 a.m. with correct spelling of Amos Wright.)
LEE COUNTY – The election board has been finalized in Lee County for the upcoming City/School general election on Nov. 4.
The most compelling election will likely be the race for Fort Madison Mayor. Current Mayor Matt Mohrfeld is wrapping up his final 2-year term since being elected in 2019. There are five candidates who have turned in papers to be on the ballot including former city councilman and Lee County Supervisor Tom Schulz, former Fort Madison City Clerk Melinda Blind, Fort Madison resident Rodney Hoskins who’s run in each mayoral election since 2019, Carl Rippenkroeger, and Roy Woodsmall, a current Fort Madison High School senior.
The number of candidates sets up a high possibility of a run-off. Fort Madison elections require a 50% +1 majority ballot. According to Iowa Code 376.9, in the event of none of the candidates achieving the majority of the vote, the top two vote getters would advance to a run-off that would take place four weeks following the regular election with a canvass of the runoff vote taking place two days after the runoff election on Thursday.
Mohrfeld served three terms as mayor and was appointed to represent the 3rd Ward in 2018 upon the resignation of Travis Seidel.
Angela Roller is running  unopposed for 2nd Ward seat, while Nicole Merschman is the only candidate on the ballot for 4th Ward in Fort Madison.  Jerry Sparrow is the only candidate to file for his 3rd Ward seat. That position is a vacancy due to Sparrow’s appointment. Matt Emmett is seeking to hold the at-large seat he was appointed to earlier this year and Rusty Andrews is unopposed for the other at-large Fort Madison Council seat.
The Fort Madison School District has five candidates for three vacant board seats and a fourth seat that has been being filled in the interim by Heather Huebner who was appointed to replace Amy Thacher. Thacher resigned to take a position within the district.
Huebner was appointed to fill the position until the next general election, which put the seat up for election and anyone could turn in papers to fill the position.
Current board members Paul Wilkerson and Brad Menke are not running to retain their directors chairs on the Fort Madison Community School District board. Mio Santiago and Huebner both did turn in papers. Santiago turned in his papers just prior to the last board meeting last week.
Other candidates for the four open seats include Rev. Chad Savage and former FMCSD teacher Rachella Dravis, both of Denmark, along with Amos Wright of Fort Madison.
The Central Lee School District has no candidates challenging incumbent board members. Current District IV board member Brock Westfall has turned in papers as has District V board member Tony Sciumbato.
Matt Mullins is running for another term as Montrose mayor, while Mark Holland, along with Sciumbato and Kent Rubey have turned in papers for Montrose City Council.
Gary Peitz is the only candidate on the ballot for Mayor in West Point, while all five city council people, Larry Buchholz, Wendy Vonderhaar, Brian Meierotto, Will Stuekerjuergen, and Bruce Wellman are all unopposed for their council seats.
St. Paul’s ballot has John Dingman unopposed, while Brent Pieper, Ted Moeller, Marty Bentler, Paul Kenel, and Rod Cox are on the ballot for council.
Houghton’s ballot will have Gale Thompson unopposed for Mayor, while Jay W. Henrich, D. Brent Dochterman, Marty Bentler, Trevor Bentler, and Kyle Holtkamp are on as candidates for city council.
No papers were turned in for Franklin Mayor or council.
KEOKUK
In Keokuk, three candidates will battle it out for Mayor with Corey Samuels, Danny Glasgow, and Mark Smidt vying for the Mayor’s seat being vacated by Kathy Mahoney. There will be races for Ward 1 between Todd Marshall and Ethan Glasgow, and in Ward 5 between Jigar Patel, Matt VanBerkum, and Dan Tillman. Doug Matlick (at-large) and Mike Greenwald (Ward 7) are unopposed and no candidates filed for Ward 3, which would likely fall to write-ins or a post-election appointment.
For Keokuk School Board, Lacy Ames, LeAnn Clifford, Michael Hamelton, Bonnie Peevler, and Clint Wray have all turned in papers for the election. Ames, Clifford, Peevler, and Wray are all incumbents looking to retain their current seats.