In a decisive upset, Democrat John Forbes won his party’s nomination in the June 2 primary election for Polk County supervisor in District 1, unseating incumbent Matt McCoy.
In the meantime, Democrat Heather Jones-Brown narrowly beat out her opponent to fill the seat of retiring veteran supervisor Tom Hockensmith in District 4.
Forbes clinched 60.4% of the votes with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results. Supervisor Board Chair McCoy got 39.5%, the unofficial results show.
Jones-Brown received 50.18% of the votes, while her opponent, Joe Gatto, got 49.5% with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results. In Iowa, candidates can only request a recount if the race is within 1% or 50 votes, whichever is less.
Iowa State Rep. and executive director of local nonprofit Urban Dreams, Izaah Knox, who ran unopposed, will replace retiring veteran supervisor Angela Connolly to represent District 5 in north and northwestern Des Moines, the East Village and parts of downtown.
Still pending are results for other races, including county recorder, treasurer and attorney.
All candidates are unopposed heading into the Nov. 3 general elections, and the new supervisors will begin their terms in January 2027.
Forbes upsets supervisor board chair McCoy to represent District 1
Forbes, who announced his candidacy in March for the supervisor board, said he never imagined challenging an incumbent Democrat.
The former six-term Iowa House representative said he was encouraged by other Democrats to run because of the county board’s “dysfunction,” pointing to costly lawsuits, disagreements and alliances among board members.
Forbes, 69, told the Register he wanted to bring civility and trust back to the board. His priorities include mental health services, food insecurity, housing insecurity and clean water.
Forbes told the Register he was overwhelmed by the support from District 1 residents following his primary win on Tuesday night. The win signals that residents were ready for a “fresh start,” Forbes said, adding he plans to keep his focus on the residents the county serves.
The District 1 seat includes Des Moines’ southwest side, West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights.
McCoy, first elected to the Polk County Board of Supervisors in 2018, said he ran to undo a “political patronage system” — one where no-bid contracts were commonplace and landing a job in the county’s government was about who you knew.
Heather Jones-Brown beats Joe Gatto in the District 4 Polk County supervisor race
Des Moines east-sider Jones-Brown, who works as the assistant chief diversity officer for staff equity at Grinnell College, said the love of volunteering and bettering the community laid the foundation for her run.
Jones-Brown, 41, who announced her candidacy in February, said among the county’s most urgent issues, public health rises to the top because it touches every aspect of community life, pointing to rising cancer rates and gaps in mental health care.
The election follows Hockensmith’s decision to step away from the board due to clashing personalities and policy choices. Hockensmith, a Democrat, has served on the board since January 2003, representing District 4, which includes east Des Moines, parts of southeast Des Moines, Pleasant Hill, Runnells, Camp Township and Four Mile Township.
Gatto, who has served on the Des Moines City Council since 2014 and is the co-owner and operator of Baratta’s Restaurant and Catering, previously told the Register he ran for the board of supervisors as a way to improve issues such as homelessness, mental health and affordability.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government and Polk County reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: John Forbes, Heather Jones-Brown win Polk County supervisor seats
Reporting by Virginia Barreda, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
