Three candidates vying for District 2 Supervisor

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday to choose a new District 2 County Supervisor.  The victor will replace Bob Amosson, who is stepping down after winning the position in 2006 and 2010.  

The names of three candidates will appear on the ballot after an unusual June primary.  

Doug Nelson, of rural Clear Lake, was selected as the Democratic Party’s candidate for District 2 County Supervisor at a Nominating Committee meeting held June 18 at the Courthouse in Mason City.   Delegates were charged with the task of choosing a candidate because none of the four men in the race received 35-percent of the vote in the primary.  Nelson, who finished fourth among four candidates for the position in the June 3 primary, received eight of 13 delegate votes to win the nomination.  

Swaledale Mayor John Drury, who was third in Democratic primary voting, is on the Nov. 4 ballot as an independent.   

The Republican candidate is Casey Callanan, of Clear Lake. 

This will be Nelson’s third attempt to win the District 2 seat.  He lost to Amosson in two earlier runs.  It is the first time Callanan and Drury are seeking the County Supervisor seat.

Prior to the primary election, each of the candidates responded to questions posed by the Mirror-Reporter.  Here is a recap of their responses: Are there specific issues which motivated you to seek office?  If so, which ones?  Why?

Callanan: Spending and Taxes.  Since announcing my candidacy, voters have repeatedly told me that they want to see spending cuts, and something done about property assessments or what they call “Back Door Tax Increases”.  The lower the tax obligations are on CG residences, the more attractive we are to home buyers.  Lowering tax rates may well actually increase overall county revenue, as we’d be able to attract more property owners, thus enlarging our revenue base.  Over a four year term, the Supervisors will approve over $130 million in expenditures of taxpayer money.  That should be more than enough money to cover essential services and then some.  

Nelson:  I became interested in county government while attending my first caucus in Swaledale.  I had registered as a Republican and I sat next to a very kind man who made certain that I was comfortable with the process. I felt very engaged, empowered and inspired to do more. That man was Roger Broers, our county supervisor at the time.  His service ethic inspired me to realize that our government is simply the people having their voices heard and leaders having the sense to listen and lead. Another incident that led me to seek the role of supervisor was when Sparboe wanted to put an egg-laying facility a few miles south of Ventura.  I joined in the opposition and attended planning meetings where I was encouraged to leadership and helping ensure that the people be heard. We were successful and they moved on to another location. These issues made me see the importance of being engaged and having a voice in the community. Living so far out where I can’t run for city offices, I set to work to learn the role and procedures of county supervisor so that I could engage and represent the people. My job as a farmer gives me the time and ability to encourage our citizens to have their voices be heard with more open meetings and more opportunities such as evening listening posts in each of the cities.

Drury:  I’m running because the district needs someone who understands local governments, listens to the people, and has the ability to solve problems. The district needs someone with executive experience -Read More Via e-Edition