T-R PHOTO BY SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ Tuesday evening, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a forum to showcase the platforms of those running for local elected office. Left to right are candidates for the Iowa House of Representatives: James Perez, Rep. Mark Smith, Mindy Benson, Rep. Dean Fisher and forum moderator Ken Anderson.

As a way of learning more about the people running for local elected office, the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce invited the public to a forum held Tuesday evening at the Fisher Community Center, moderated by Ken Anderson.

Marshall County

Auditor/Recorder

Nan Benson, a Republican of Washington Township, is running for a county position as an incumbent, but this is the first time her name has been on the ballot. She was named Marshall County Auditor/Recorder on Oct. 31, 2017, having been appointed to the position by the Marshall County Board of Supervisors to serve the remainder of Deanne Raymond’s four-year term, which began in 2016. She is running unopposed after State Center Mayor and former two-term state Sen. Steve Sodders, a Democrat, dropped out of the race last week – though his name is still on the ballot.

“I’m a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), and I have over 32 years of accounting, financial and budget experience,” she said.

Benson said she is also committed to honoring the integrity of the ballot and following the laws in place to ensure votes are never compromised.

Marshall County Treasurer

Jarret Heil of Haverhill, a Republican, is running unopposed as Marshall County Treasurer, a position in which he has served since being elected to the seat in 2010. He previously worked for Sen. Chuck Grassley.

“Who likes to pay taxes and fee registration for cars? Nobody – but you have to do it, but part of what we do is making sure we are always on the side of each customer we meet. If you ever have issues with the Department of Revenue or Department of Transportation, come talk to us and we’ll be your advocate,” Heil said.

Marshall County Attorney

Jennifer Miller, a Republican, runs unopposed for her fourth term as Marshall County Attorney. She was unable to attend the forum.

Marshall County Board of Supervisors candidates

Two incumbents and two challengers vie for two Marshall County Board of Supervisors seats. Bill Patten and Dave Thompson, both Republicans, are seeking re-election to the Marshall County Board of Supervisors, a three-person panel that oversees the operation of county government. They are being challenged by Sue Blaisdell and Thomas Thurston, both Democrats, for a four-year term on the board. Supervisor Steve Salasek, a Republican, is not up for re-election this year. Patten and Thompson were unopposed in the Republican primary.

Sue Blaisdell of Marshalltown, a Democrat, said if elected she would focus on these key elements: improving mental health services, encouraging people to better his or her personal nutrition and eventually paving all the roads in Marshall County.

“Over the long-term, the cost of paving roads is probably not any greater than the cost of grading and keeping dust down,” she said. “Roads to Haverhill, to Grimes Farm, and to the water plant have been brought to my attention. Bridges near the water plant are also a problem and we need to remove the old dam structures that cause the river to be unsafe for swimming and canoeing.”

Thomas Thurston, whose family goes back several generations in Marshalltown, said if elected, he would work to bring a positive energy to the job.

“It really hurts my feelings when people talk badly about Marshalltown,” he said.

Being in his 30s, the candidate said his age allows for him to bring a youthful perspective.

He said connecting the parks in the county through a trail system is one of his key causes. He also wants to work to find ways of improving Iowa’s water and soil quality saying he would do “anything he could” to help with this issue.

Incumbent Bill Patten has spent over four decades in farming and lives on a Century Farm. He said his experience as president of the Marshall County Farm Bureau and Marshall County Soybean Producers, as well as being a member of the board of trustees for William Penn University, all equipped him with the qualities of being a good public servant.

He said if re-elected he would continue to work on the restoration efforts of the Marshall County Courthouse.

Incumbent Dave Thompson, a Republican, wants the voters of Marshall County to re-elect him for a third term. He said keeping the county’s budget balanced and not having to raise taxes are his proudest achievements.

“The board of supervisors has worked very hard these last few years to leverage those dollars so we get the most effective use out of them,” he said.

District House 71

Mark Smith of Marshalltown, a Democrat, seeks his 10th term as Iowa House District 71 representative. James Perez of Marshalltown, a Republican, is running to unseat him. Perez is a former U.S. Marine and business manager who said if elected he would lead with conservative values.

“I’ve been around the world and seen what happens when there are tendencies and leanings toward Communism and Socialism, and that’s why I’m running,” Perez said. “I don’t think the Democrats are bad, I just have a difference of opinion, and that’s what I’m here to represent – conservative values. This is me. I’m a conservative guy and am pro-life,” Perez said.

Smith said he supports raising the minimum wage while Perez said the market should dictate wages.

Smith, a licensed independent social worker, said he is committed to Medicaid reform. Also, if re-elected, mental health will continue to be one of his priorities.

“The minimum wage in Iowa has not been raised since 2007, and while there are employers that are paying more than that, there are still employers out there paying minimum wage,” Smith said. “We are a low wage state and our efforts need to be directed at increasing wages through a variety of ways.”

District House 72

Dean Fisher of Montour, a Republican, seeks his 4th term as Iowa House District 72 representative. Mindy Benson of Tama, a Democrat, is running to unseat him. She serves as the Tama County Emergency Manager and 911 director.

Benson said collective bargaining and raising the minimum wage are important issues.

“Taking away the right to bargain for wages is horrible. We sit at the table and are told what we are going to do,” she said.

She said if elected she will work for all the people of her district, not just those who agree with her ideas.

Fisher said he is seeking re-election to continue to work toward balancing Iowa’s budget.

“If you want to grow our economy we need to get more people trained for jobs that are open in the mid-skill level,” he said. “I’m very supportive of the governor’s initiative of Future Ready Iowa.”

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Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at

(641) 753-6611 or

sjordan@timesrepublican.com