Sami Scheetz announces 2026 run for Linn County Board of Supervisors

CEDAR RAPIDS — Appointee Sami Scheetz has formally announced his intent to run for a full, four-year term on the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

Scheetz was appointed to the role in April to replace former District 2 Supervisor Ben Rogers, who resigned this past winter to take another job. Scheetz was one of 17 applicants and four finalists for the role.

He will appear on the November 2026 ballot but said he is announcing early to give himself time to connect with voters across Linn County’s 2nd District. The district covers parts of eastern Cedar Rapids and a portion of Hiawatha.

“It’s important to me to run a full campaign,” Scheetz said. District 2 covers “a huge chunk of the county, and I want to take the time to talk to voters, introduce myself … and fulfill that promise I made to run for a full four years.”

Before his time on the Board of Supervisors, Scheetz served as a Democratic state representative for Iowa House District 78 and has a background in community organizing and labor negotiations. He lives in Cedar Rapids with his wife and young daughter.

Since joining the board, Scheetz has been a vocal advocate of Linn County’s social services — a priority he said he will continue to champion up to and following next year’s election if elected to serve a full term.

He was a part of the team that helped coordinate the county’s transition to the state’s new district-based mental health system earlier this year, and in June he held a roundtable to discuss potential impacts from federal cuts to Medicaid and other social services.

“Especially now when we’re seeing attacks on the social safety net, … I think it’s really important to me to make sure the county is ensuring that some of our most marginalized and vulnerable neighbors have those core services and protections,” Scheetz said.

Scheetz also expressed interest in supporting the Linn County Food Systems Council’s efforts to address food insecurity and his commitment to working alongside his fellow supervisors on the upcoming budget process for fiscal 2027.

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The three-member Board of Supervisors — composed of Scheetz and fellow supervisors Kirsten Running-Marquardt and Brandy Meisheid — acts as Linn County’s legislative, policymaking and administrative branch.

Two of the three supervisor seats will be up for election next fall. The other is the District 1 seat held by Running-Marquardt.

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