Linn County supervisor candidates Hogan and Walker not seeking appointment

CEDAR RAPIDS - The two candidates running for a vacant Linn County Board of Supervisors seat have no interest in being appointed to the job.

Neither Stacey Walker, a former chief of staff for a hotel company, nor Dick Hogan, who covered the Linn County Board of Supervisors for 15 years as a Gazette reporter, applied for the position.

Rather, they will meet in the June 7 primary as they seek the Democratic nomination.

Hogan, 75, said earlier this month he was opposed to the committee appointing him or Walker to the seat, as it would provide one candidate with incumbency and create a level of 'artificial credibility” in the June 7 primary.

'If one of us got appointed, it gives that person technically - at least in the eyes of the public - a leg up, so to speak, when it comes to the vote,” Hogan said.

Walker, 28, announced Monday that he too did not apply for the seat, but disagreed with the value of such an appointment in the upcoming primary.

'We're talking about an appointment for about a month's time before the June 7 vote. I know that incumbents have advantages, but I don't necessarily believe that holding office for that short amount of time will necessarily advantage someone that much heading into June,” he said. 'We're going to let the people decide in June.”

Hogan and Walker are candidates for the vacant District 2 seat once held by former Supervisor Linda Langston, who announced earlier this year she would be resigning early to take a new job with the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. Her term runs to the end of this year.

Langston's early resignation set in motion the convening of the three-member committee. The committee has decided to fill the vacancy by appointment, rather than host a special election.

The appointed supervisor will hold that seat until after the November election.

County officials said last week that, of the 17 applications received, only six belonged to District 2 residents.

The special committee tasked with filling the seat will place first priority on candidates residing in the district.

Applications will be received until 5 p.m. today.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com