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Auditor: No petition filed to challenge appointment to Linn County Supervisors
Appointee Sami Scheetz will retain his role as District 2 supervisor through 2026
Apr. 15, 2025 5:08 pm, Updated: Apr. 16, 2025 7:40 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — A recent appointment to the Linn County Board of Supervisors will stand after no petitions were filed to force a special election.
On April 1, Sami Scheetz was appointed to fill the District 2 seat to replace former supervisor Ben Rogers, who resigned this spring after 16 years in the role.
Scheetz’s appointment initiated a 14-day period when a petition — bearing 4,125 signatures of eligible electors — could be submitted to force a special election. Linn County Auditor Todd Taylor confirmed Tuesday that no such petition was received by the 5 p.m. deadline.
Scheetz now will serve out the remainder of Rogers’ unexpired term, which ends in 2026. He previously stated his intention to run for re-election at that time.
He was one of four finalists — all Democrats — selected from the pool of 17 applicants to try for Rogers’ position. Other finalists included:
- Anne Harris Carter, of Cedar Rapids, Linn County health equity program manager
- Margaret “Molly” Jessen, of Cedar Rapids, human resources analyst at Linn County
- Joan McCalmant, of Hiawatha, retired Linn County recorder
The appointment was made April 1 by the Committee of County Officers made up of Auditor Todd Taylor, Recorder Carolyn Siebrecht and Treasurer Brent Oleson after public interviews with all four candidates.
Before his appointment, Scheetz served as a Democratic state representative for Iowa House District 78 and has a background in community organizing and labor negotiations.
He resigned from the Legislature to assume his supervisor role, and a special election is set for April 29 to identify his successor. Candidates include Democrat Angel Ramirez and Republican Bernie Hayes.
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