THURSDAY, NOV. 14, 2024 • VOLUME N0. 124 • ISSUE NO. 9 • 1 SECTION • 8 PAGES
Serving Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper County
Jon Dunwell maintains hold of Iowa House District 38 seat Preliminary results show Republican incumbent received 55% of the vote By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Jon Dunwell has presumably been re-elected to the Iowa Legislature and will continue to be the representative of House District 38, according to the preliminary results released on Election Night by the Jasper County Auditor’s Office. The Republican incumbent received 9,035 votes, or 55.75 percent. Which means Democratic challenger Brad Magg received 7,163 votes, or 44.20 percent. More than 16,000 votes were cast in the House District 38 race. Dunwell has served as Jasper Coun-
ty’s representative in the Iowa Legislature for the past three years. He was first elected into the position via special election in October 2021, following the resignation of former Rep. Wes Breckenridge, who bested Dunwell in the 2020 election. Dunwell has run for the seat four times. Upon his re-election in 2022, Dunwell was Dunwell named an assistant majority leader. Outside his legislative duties, Dunwell works as a pastor
Doug Cupples keeps his seat on board of supervisors by huge margin Unofficial results show Republican incumbent received 72% of the vote By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Doug Cupples has secured yet another term on the Jasper County Board of Supervisors, according to preliminary results released on Election Night by the auditor’s office. The Republican received 13,471 votes, or 72.14 percent, while opponent Jerry Chandler, Jr. received 5,018 votes, or 26.87 percent. Cupples, 53, of Newton, works auto sales at Lauterbach Buick GMC and has served two terms as a county su-
pervisor. In his Q&A with Newton News, he said he is deeply concerned about issues like taxes, roads and law enforcement, and he wants to help find solutions that benefit the community. As a county supervisor, Cupples said it is his goal to serve and improve the quality of life for everyone in Jasper County. Chandler, 60, of Newton, owns JerCUPPLES ry Lee Plumbing and Heating and Chandler Construction. The lifelong Newton resident
Unofficial results show former Republican Party chair received 66% of the vote Thad Nearmyer spent years getting Republicans elected into office, but now the shoe is on the other foot. Unofficial results released on Election Night by the auditor’s office show Nearmyer, a Republican, has been elected to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors with 12,125 votes, or 66.81 percent. Which means candidate Randy Ray, who did not run under a specific party, received 5,864 votes, or 32.31 percent. The seat was previously won by Denny Carpenter in 2022, but the late super-
that inspired him to run for office. He wholeheartedly disagreed with the direction the Republican majorities were taking public education, health care and economic policies in small communities. Enthusiasm from the local Democratic Party and for their candidate ensured this would be a close race. Ultimately, it was decided by 10 points; Dunwell told Newton News the morning after his win that says, to some degree, that voters believe the direction the state is heading is a good direction. “It doesn’t mean they agree with DUNWELL | 3A
Jasper County’s $6.4M bond issue falls short
Public measure for secondary roads project will require supervisors to review their options
CUPPLES | 3A
Thad Nearmyer gets 2-year seat on board of supervisors By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
at Gateway Church Monroe and is director of outreach and engagement at The Family Leader, which is one of the most influential conservative groups in the state. Magg is owner of Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City and Spring City Pharmacy in Colfax. He has also served on the Colfax City Council for the past 15 years. The 38-year-old is a lifelong resident and entrepreneur of Jasper County. At age 14, he founded Magg Family Catering, which still operates today. When Magg first announced his campaign in March, he said it was the actions of lawmakers like Dunwell
visor died a month after the election. The board appointed Denny Stevenson until the next countywide election. Nearmyer, 56, of Monroe, is a farmer and the former chairperson of the Jasper County Republican Party. For the past eight years, he has led the party to what NEARMYER he describes as “unprecedented success” in election of NEARMYER | 3A
Provided by Jasper County The $6.4 million bond issue failed to meet the 60 percent threshold it needed to pass, leaving the Jasper County Board of Supervisors to decide what to do next.
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Despite supervisors saying the $6.4 million bond issue would not raise taxes, the citizens of Jasper County voted down the public measure on Election Night. In order to pass, the bond issue needed at least 60 percent of the votes in favor. Unofficial results show the bond issue only received 58.75 percent of the votes. According to the Liberty Avenue Campus Bond Project page on the county’s website, the bond specifically authorized Jasper County to borrow $6.4 million for the purpose of designing, constructing, equipping, furnishing and making land site improvements for a secondary roads maintenance building. However, the passing of the bond issue would have also kickstarted a
number of other county projects for the sheriff ’s office and county conservation. So in addition to the new and upgraded facility for the engineer’s office staff, the county will gain a new training center for law enforcement, a base for the advanced life support program, outfitted classrooms for nature center and two maintenance replacement sheds in county parks. Supervisor Brandon Talsma was disappointed with the results of the election, and he said the board of supervisors is now going to have to discuss options moving forward. They need to decide whether they want to try again for the November 2025 election or find another way to finance the secondary roads project. Following the failure of the bond issue, the supervisors may also have BOND | 3A
MORE VOTERS ARE VOTING
Jasper County Auditor’s Office reports a 75% voter turnout, more people are registering to vote more than ever By Christopher Braunschweig Newton News More than 20,000 Jasper County voters participated in the 2024 general election, resulting in a 75.27 percent voter turnout. According to data from the Jasper County Audi-
tor’s Office, this most recent election actually drew the most voters, by number, than the past presidential elections in 2020 and 2016. In total, 20,305 out of 26,975 registered voters in Jasper County cast their ballots in the 2024 election. In
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2020, 20,289 out of 25,656 registered voters participated in the election, a turnout of 79.07 percent; in 2016, 19,221 out of 24,601 registered voters participated in the election, a turnout of 78.13 percent. Although the overall turnout this year is lower than
in years past, there are more registered voters in Jasper County, and more of them are Shaw getting out toMedia vote. Jasper County Auditor Jenna Jennings said the increase in voter participation was noticeable early on in this election cycle. Early voting startest. 1851
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ed on Oct. 16, and that first day drew 630 voters to the auditor’s office. The next day resulted in 569 voters. The auditor’s office averaged 320 early voters per day. “Then the very last day, VOTING | 3A
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