Incumbent Democrat Mandi Remington, of Iowa City, beat out Joe Reilly, also of Iowa City, in the Johnson County Board of Supervisors District 5 supervisor primary election on Tuesday, June 2.
No Republican filed for the primary.
Remington secured the nod by a22-point margin, garnering 61% of the vote (2,158 votes), according to unofficial results.
Reilly secured 39 % of the vote (1,380 votes).
The primary comes as a new state law, Senate File 75, reshapes the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. The law required Johnson, Story, and Black Hawk Counties to adopt a supervisor district system for their elections. Only candidates who live in the district can run for the seat, and only district residents can vote.
If they prevail in the November general election, candidates elected in Districts 2-4 will have a two-year term, and those elected to Districts 1 and 5 seats will have a four-year term.
Remington promises affordability, transparency, personal experience
Remington was elected to the board in 2024 after previously running for an at-large seat on the Iowa City City Council in 2023. Remington previously told the Press-Citizen she is focused on bringing her personal experience as a single parent and survivor of domestic violence to make connections and bring to life a field mediation program that launched in January.
Remington is also running to make Johnson County more affordable since she sees many county residents struggling with basic needs like food, shelter, and other essentials.
“If re-elected, I will continue working to expand access to housing and food support and to strengthen coordination among local providers so people can get help more quickly and easily,” Remington previously told the Press-Citizen. “My focus remains on ensuring residents can access the resources they need without unnecessary delays or barriers.”
Remington said she is excited that Johnson County has “voted with their values” after state lawmakers forced Johnson County to use the district supervisor model to incorporate more rural representation. Johnson County supervisor seats were previously elected at-large.
“They really made clear what type of leadership they want going into the future and also made it clear that Des Moines is not going to control what happens here,” Remington said in an interview on Tuesday, June 2.
She also said she is excited to continue her work on environmental regulations for possible future data centers in Johnson County, and investing in alternatives to policing like field mediation, along with strengthening public safety infrastructure in the county.
Reilly ran on change
Reilly, a political newcomer and current director of operations and nighttime initiatives for Iowa City Downtown District, previously told the Press-Citizen that the redistricting brough forth in Senate File 75 “is a moment of change” for the county.
“It is an opportunity for our county to be more representative and effective,” Reilly told the Press-Citizen.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Remington beats Reilly in Johnson County Dist. 5 supervisor primary
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
