Our endorsements in Linn County races

Note: Our Linn County endorsements are based on questionnaires filled out by the candidates and other information, including news coverage and campaign websites.

Linn County Supervisor District 3

In Supervisor District 3, which covers Marion and rural areas to the north and east of the Cedar Rapids metro, Republican Brandy Zumbach Meisheid and Democrat Molly Donahue are vying for an open seat currently filled by Zumbach Meisheid’s father, Louie Zumbach.

Zumbach Meisheid has served on the County Board of Adjustment, owns a business and has been a community volunteer. Donahue represented Marion, Betram, Ely and parts of Cedar Rapids and Mount Vernon as a state representative. Donahue was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2022.

Due to her broad experience at the Statehouse working on issues that affect Linn County, our endorsement goes to Donahue.

Donahue served on the Appropriations Committee, which handles the distribution of state funding. She also had a seat on the panel that evaluates the budget for Health and Human Services. Understanding state budgeting will be an asset to the Board of Supervisors.

Donahue’s top issues include making sure tax dollars used “efficiently and transparently.” She wants to explore the potential for the county to address health care gaps, including a shortage of mental health and rehabilitation services in rural areas. Donahue said building affordable housing is key for future economic development.

Donahue said she supports greater county collaboration with city governments, where leaders contend, they have had no voice in county decision-making.

Linn County Auditor

Auditor Joel Miller is leaving the auditor’s office, creating a vacancy that Democrat Todd Taylor and Republican Terry Chostner hope to fill.

Taylor is another candidate with vast legislative experience, serving 24 years in the Iowa House and a term in the Iowa Senate. Chostner has worked for 40 years in high-tech manufacturing and has a record of community volunteer work.

Either candidate would be a quality auditor. But based on his experience, our endorsement goes to Taylor.

Among Taylor’s top issues, he wants to build public confidence in the county’s multilayered checks and balances in the voting process, while keeping the public informed about any changes in election law.

Taylor also wants to “enhance the public notices” which chronicle real estate transactions, public meeting minutes and other public information. “I have always prioritized transparency, accountability and efficiency in my work,” Taylor wrote in his questionnaire.

In the Legislature, Taylor served on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee and the State Government Committee, which is the panel that oversees election laws. That experience should be valuable for Taylor as county auditor.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com