Voters across Jefferson County’s smaller communities cast ballots Tuesday to fill municipal leadership positions and school board seats, with several races decided by narrow margins.
Batavia
Tom Drish secured the mayor’s office with 18 votes to David Speas’ 4. In the race for two at-large city council seats, David Speas led all candidates with 51 votes, followed by Michael Britt with 40.
Coppock
Results from Jefferson County show Dustin Palmer receiving 2 votes for mayor. In the race for four at-large city council positions, Dustin Palmer, Shelby Gire, Dakota Knerr, and Shannon Walker each received 2 votes. Jefferson County is not the control county for Coppock, so final results will be determined by the control jurisdiction.
Libertyville
Kevin Snyder ran unopposed for mayor, receiving 48 votes. For two at-large city council seats, Thomas Atwood garnered 44 votes and Deborah K. Moore earned 41. David Rippey received 5 votes in a special election to fill a council vacancy.
Lockridge
Susan Hopper was elected mayor with 38 votes. In the contest for three at-large city council positions, Anthony R. Jones led with 40 votes, followed by Summer Johnson with 39 and Randy L. Russell with 34.
Maharishi Vedic City
James Rogers Badgett captured the mayor’s seat with 50 votes. Five city council at-large positions were filled by Chris Johnson (48 votes), Tim Fitz-Randolph (45), Kathy Petersen (44), Maureen M. Wynne (43), and Leslee Goldstein (42).
Packwood
Allan Forsythe was elected mayor with 21 votes. For two at-large city council seats, Colton Chandler led with 24 votes and John Klingaman followed with 20. Virgil Chandler received 1 vote in a special election to fill a council vacancy.
Pleasant Plain
Jake Pohren won the mayor’s race with 12 votes over Jacob O’Berry’s 5. Five at-large city council positions were filled by Carmen Pohren and Mark Tong Van (each with 10 votes), Larry Hook (9), Adam Williams (7), and Mark Heyn (6).
Pekin Community School District
Jefferson County results show Kortney Baumberger receiving 91 votes for school director at-large. Ray Fears earned 23 votes for the District 3 director position, while Linda Brock captured 75 votes for District 5 director. JD Olinger received 92 votes for the District 1 vacancy. As Jefferson County is not the control county for the Pekin School District, these results represent only the Jefferson County portion of voting, and final outcomes will be determined by the control jurisdiction.
Several races featured uncontested candidates who received strong support from their communities, while others were decided by single-digit margins, demonstrating the close-knit nature of rural Iowa elections where every vote truly matters.
