Republican Bernie Hayes to run in House District 78 special election

CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County Republican Party Chair Bernie Hayes is slated as the GOP nominee for an upcoming special election to represent southeast Cedar Rapids in the Iowa Legislature.

  Buy Photo

Hayes was tapped Monday evening at a nomination convention for the Linn County Republican Party to run in the April 29 special election. He will run to replace former House District 78 Rep. Sami Scheetz, a Democrat who resigned April 1 to assume a role on the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

Hayes, a retired engineer from Cedar Rapids, is chair of the Linn County Republican Party and a former member of the Republican State Central Committee. This is his third run for the Iowa Legislature, following two unsuccessful campaigns for state Senate in 2018 and 2022.

“I’ve lived in this district for 25 years, and you know, that’s really (what sparked) my interest in this region and these neighborhoods — wanting to see some good policies in place that would be a blessing and a benefit to it,” Hayes told The Gazette.

The filing period for the special election closed Tuesday at 5 p.m. Candidates could either be nominated by a special convention of a political party or collect signatures and file as a no-party candidate.

Also in the race is Democrat Angel Ramirez, a nonprofit leader and community organizer from Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Gazette about whether any no-party candidates had filed by the 5 p.m. deadline.

District 78 largely encompasses the southeast portion of Cedar Rapids. Scheetz was first elected to represent the area in 2022 and reelected in 2024. Whoever wins the special election will finish out the remainder of his unexpired term through 2026.

The timeline for the special election is compressed because the Legislature is currently in session.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot has passed, and ballots will be sent to requesters as soon as possible. All mail-in ballots must be returned and received by the Auditor’s Office by 8 p.m. April 29.

Voters also can vote absentee in person beginning April 21 at Election Services within the Auditor’s Office. The office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the office also will offer in-person voting options on Saturday, April 26, during the same hours.

On Election Day, polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. for in-person voting. To confirm your polling location, visit LinnCountyElections.org/lookup.

Comments: grace.nieland@thegazette.com