Thad Nearmyer gets two-year seat on board of supervisors

Thad Nearmyer spent years getting Republicans elected into office, but now the shoe is on the other foot. Unofficial results released on Election Night by the auditor’s office show Nearmyer, a Republican, has been elected to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors with 12,125 votes, or 66.81 percent.

Which means candidate Randy Ray, who did not run under a specific party, received 5,864 votes, or 32.31 percent. The seat was previously won by Denny Carpenter in 2022, but the late supervisor died a month after the election. The board appointed Denny Stevenson until the next countywide election.

Nearmyer, 56, of Monroe, is a farmer and the former chairperson of the Jasper County Republican Party. For the past eight years, he has led the party to what he describes as “unprecedented success” in the election of Republican candidates. By 2018, for instance, the entire board of supervisors had turned red.

His presumed win alongside incumbent Doug Cupples maintains that Republican stronghold at the courthouse. During his tenure as GOP chair, Nearmyer also helped get Republicans elected to Senate and House seats in the Iowa Legislature. He officially stepped down as chair this year.

Ray, 67, of Newton, is a farmer and entrepreneur. As a lifelong resident of Newton, Ray said in his Q&A for Newton News that he ran for supervisor because he believed every resident’s voice matters. He said it was crucial for the county to prioritize essential services and minimize wasteful spending.

Following Nearmyer’s win, the presumed supervisor-elect said he was feeling good but it was not a huge shock to him. He has seen how organized Republicans can be in Jasper County elections. But it was still a different dynamic to be waiting for the results to see if he had won.

“Throughout the campaign it’s been different because I felt like I was having a hard time adjusting to being a candidate and balance campaigning versus working,” Nearmyer said. “That was a challenge for me … But I’m ready for the challenge of being a county supervisor. I look forward to working for the people.”