116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Here’s who’s running in June primary races for local office in Linn, Johnson counties
Candidates will appear on June 4 primary ballot
Friday was the deadline for people to file to run for local offices ahead of the June 4 primary election. On the ballot this year are seats for county supervisors, sheriff and county auditor.
The following is a list of everyone who has filed to run in Linn and Johnson counties. Incumbents are denoted with (i). These positions are four-year terms.
Find more information about Linn County candidates at linncountyiowa.gov/157/Election-Services.
Find more information about Johnson County candidates at johnsoncountyiowa.gov/june-4-2024-primary-election.
Linn County
Board of Supervisors
Molly Donahue, Democrat: A state senator representing Cedar Rapids, Donahue is running for the District 3 seat on the Linn County Board of Supervisors. Donahue is an educator who has served in the Iowa Legislature since 2019 — first in the Iowa House before being elected in 2022 to represent Iowa Senate District 37. The Senate district encompasses Marion and part of southeast and northeast Cedar Rapids.
Brandy Zumbach Meisheid, Republican: Zumbach Meisheid, from Coggon, will run for District 3 in hopes of succeeding her father, incumbent Supervisor Louie Zumbach, who announced in February he will not seek re-election “due to some soul searching and health issues.” She has managed her father’s campaign and works remotely as director of development for Buena Vista University.
The seat represents Marion, Robins, Lisbon, Mount Vernon, Springville, Bertram, Prairieburg, Coggon, Central City, Alburnett, Center Point and Walker, as well as most unincorporated rural areas of Linn County. It is the only supervisor seat on the ballot this year.
Auditor
Todd Taylor, Democrat: The state senator representing Cedar Rapids is the only person who filed to succeed incumbent Linn County Auditor Joel Miller, a Democrat, who has said he will not run for re-election in 2024.
Taylor was reelected in 2022 to a two-year — rather than the usual four-year — term due to redistricting, and will serve the remainder of his term.
He has served nearly 30 years in the Iowa Legislature, making him the second-longest serving Democratic state lawmaker in the Capitol, behind Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque. Taylor served 12 terms in the Iowa House before he was elected in 2018 to his first term in the Iowa Senate.
Sheriff
Brian Gardner, Democrat (i): Gardner, of Cedar Rapids, has worked for the Linn County Sheriff’s Office for about 44 years. He’s currently serving his fourth term as the elected sheriff. He is the past president of the Iowa State Association of Counties. He also previously served as chair of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council and president of the Iowa State Sheriffs’ and Deputies’ Association.
Johnson County
Board of Supervisors (three seats)
In Johnson County, supervisors are elected at-large, so unlike Linn County, voters in the whole county may vote for the following candidates.
Bob Conrad, Democrat: Conrad is an Iowa City resident running for his first elected position. Conrad currently works as public resource officer for the Iowa State Patrol, a position he has held since 1990, according to his LinkedIn. He has prior experience working with the county having served on the planning and zoning commission.
Lisa Green-Douglass, Democrat (i): Green-Douglass is one of three incumbents running for re-election. A North Liberty resident, she was first elected to the board in a special election in January 2016. She was reelected for a full term in the November 2016 election and again in November 2020.
Royceann Porter, Democrat (i): Porter, of Iowa City, is another one of three incumbents running for re-election, having served as supervisor since winning a special election in 2018. In 2023, Porter served as chair of the Board of Supervisors, the first African American woman to do so in the county’s history.
Mandi Remington, Democrat: The local activist and founder of the Corridor Community Action is running for a county supervisor seat. Remington is an Iowa City resident who in 2023 ran for an at-large seat on the Iowa City Council, ultimately losing to Mazahir Salih and Josh Moe.
Rod Sullivan, Democrat (i): The current chair of the Board of Supervisors, Sullivan is running for re-election this year, looking to extend his 20-year stay as supervisor. An Iowa City resident, Sullivan was first elected in 2004 and has been reelected every time since then.
Sheriff
Brad Kunkel, Democrat (i): The current sheriff is seeking another term after assuming the role in 2021. Kunkel is the 31st sheriff in the county’s history, replacing long-serving Lonny Pulkrabek. The Solon resident is running unopposed.
County Auditor
Travis Weipert, Democrat (i): Weipert was first elected as county auditor in 2012. Weipert, a resident of Tiffin, is running unopposed in the race.
Daily Newsletters