JONI ERNST WINS US SENATE SEAT
Ernst thwarts Democratic challenger Bruce Braley in the Midterm Election / A3
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Allen fends off Bruntz in tight open state senate race
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Kelley re-elected to third term in Iowa House District 29 race By Mike Mendenhall Newton Daily News Iowa House District 29 Rep. Dan Kelley (DNewton) fended off his Republican challenger, Newton attorney Patrick Payton, Tuesday night in a race which offered a stark contrast in choice for voters. With all of the precincts reporting, Kelley topped Payton 53.9 percent to 45.9 percent. In raw vote totals, Kelley carried 6,612 votes to Payton’s 5,628. This was in line with the voter registration numbers of
district 29. Of the 19,668 registered voters eligible to vote in this race, 7,314 are registered Democrat. This gave Kelley a 1,813 voter advantage on Payton. The Iowa Secretary of State’s Office shows 6,853 voters in the district are registered with no party affiliation or independent. In a night where Republicans both in Iowa and nationally fared well against incumbent Democrats, Kelley and other sitting left-of-center candidates fared well in DISTRICT 29 | 10A
Mike Mendenhall/Newton Daily News Democratic Candidate for State Senate District 15 Chaz Allen, of Newton, shakes the hand of Newton Mayor Mike Hansen as the final results come in Election Night. The former Newton mayor defeated his Republican challenger Crystal Bruntz, of Baxter, 52.6 percent to 47.3 percent.
By Mike Mendenhall Newton Daily News It was a relaxed, T-shirt and blue jean affair at the Election Night headquarters for Iowa Senate District 15 candidate Chaz Allen (D-Newton). In front of a barbecue and potato salad spread on folding tables at Allen’s Newton auto garage “The Shop,” the 44-yearold former Newton mayor watched with a small group of his supporters declaring him the victor in the race to replace outgoing by 30-plus-year Democratic senator Dennis Black. Allen defeated his challeng-
er Crystal Bruntz (R-Baxter) with the help of absentee ballots. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Allen tallied 52.6 percent of the vote to Bruntz 47.3 percent. Allen carried Jasper County with 57.72 percent of the vote, nearly half of his total coming from absentee votes. Bruntz carried the Polk County area of district 15 — which includes Altoona and Mitchellville — by 593 votes. As the results were confirmed Tuesday, Allen said that he would bring an economic agenda to the state capitol. “It’s still all about jobs,” Allen said. “I’m not changing the
agenda from what we’ve worked on here in Newton. We’re going to work on the same thing when we go up to the statehouse, and putting people back to work.” The open senate seat could have held broader significance for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s legislative agenda going into the 2015 General Assembly. But Democrats did not let go of their slim 26-24 seat majority the Iowa Senate Election Night, keeping the climate at the statehouse relatively unchanged. Going into Tuesday’s contest, Bruntz had a moderate financial DISTRICT 15 | 2A
Allan wins recorder with 11 point margin By Kate Malott Newton Daily News In a race that was up and down throughout the release of precinct results, Denise Allan pulled off a victory for Jasper County Recorder Tuesday night at the Jasper County Courthouse in front of a crowd of local officials and voters. As the results came rolling in from the 20 county precincts, the vote lead varied from Allan to her opponent Marshall Critchfield. Critchfield had a 121 vote lead prior to the addition of absentee ballots, which changed the outcome in nearly all local county rac-
es. A total of 6,309 absentee ballots were received by the Jasper County Auditor’s Office, Allan ended up winAllan ning the race by a more than 11 percentage point margin (1,720 votes) — 8,132 to 6,412. “I’m just extremely pleased. We’ve worked so hard all year and I mean ‘we’ because I couldn’t have done it without everyone. I had so much help from so many people. We worked
hard, we stayed the course and we played fair, and I think we’ve been rewarded for that,” Allan said. Allan has served for more than 23 years in the Jasper County Courthouse in both the auditor’s office and recorder’s office. She is currently a certified deputy recorder. Utilizing the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Recreational Vehicle and Vessel Registration System and the Iowa Department of Health Iowa Vital Events System as well as implementing the Beacon website, which allows RECORDER | 10A
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Incumbents Carpenter, Brock retain supervisor seats By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Incumbents ruled the race with Democrat Joe Brock and Republican Denny Carpenter winning re-election in the Jasper County Board of Supervisors race Tuesday. Brock and Carpenter beat out Republican Jeremy Heaberlin and claimed the two open positions. “I’m happy to be on the winning side and I certainly look forward to another four years. We have a lot of things planned and there is plenty to do,” Brock said. Carpenter won the vote with
Brock
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Carpenter
8,119 ballots cast in his favor followed by Brock receiving 7,656. Heaberlin, who kept the race close through out the night, ended with 6,257 votes. There were also 74 write in votes.
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Kate Malott/Daily News Dan Kelley receives a hug from his nephew after winning the Iowa Senate seat for the third consecutive time. With all of the precincts reporting, Kelley topped Payton 53.9 percent to 45.9 percent.
Possible referendum
Franchise Fee hits road block / 7A
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