Lewis announces run for Johnson County Supervisor seat

IOWA CITY - Iowa City's Jason Lewis has announced his run for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, marking the fifth Democrat seeking one of the three seats on the board up for vote this fall.

Lewis, Director of the Writing and Humanities Program at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, announced in a Tuesday news release his candidacy for the five-member county board.

'I will work tirelessly to make Johnson County a better place for every resident, no matter who they are, where they come from, where they worship, who they love, or how much money they make. We Democrats we share our struggles, we hold our ideals close, and we fight. I'm ready to fight for the people of Johnson County,” Lewis, 44, said in the release.

Lewis, who ran twice in recent years for the Iowa City Community School District, said his campaign will focus on education, social justice and juvenile justice, child welfare, pursuing a living wage and responsible rural development, according to the release. Other priorities listed include access to mental healthcare, expanded infrastructure and transit and the creation of an arts center.

Lewis joins a growing field of county candidates that include Patricia Heiden, executive director with Iowa City's Oaknoll Retirement Residence, and Iowa City's Devotay restaurant owner Kurt Friese.

Incumbent Supervisors Rod Sullivan and Lisa Green-Douglass both plan to seek re-election this fall. The third seat up for vote belongs to longtime Supervisor Pat Harney, who announced earlier this year he would not seek another term.

Candidates will face off in the June 7 primary before this November's election.