Election Preview — Mason City area races highlight north-central Iowa legislative elections

MASON CITY — Voters head to the polls today throughout the state to vote on county, state, and federal elections:

== There will be a new representative in Iowa House District 59, which includes Mason City and the eastern two-thirds of Cerro Gordo County. Jeremy True of Mason City is trying to keep the seat in the hands of the Democrats while Christian Hermanson is the Republican nominee.

True is a teacher at Mason City High School and says private schools taking advantage of the school voucher program should be more closely regulated.   “If they are taking public money, they need to be regulated in the same way. There’s always oversight that we in the public schools have, there’s nothing overseeing private schools other than what they want to self-report. That’s it. Why are we handing money to people that don’t have to, maybe they are doing their job, maybe they are not, we don’t know. So if they are going to take public money, they need public scrutiny, and yes, they have been chipping away at us in public schools.”

Hermanson told supporters over the weekend that he feels there’s support for Republicans to take over the seat.  “The state party’s leaned in real hard, and they did the same thing with my opponent’s race, but we’ve leaned in a lot harder. We’re killing it right now. The feedback that we’re getting out in the community at the doors and in public has been fantastic. The energy is very real. We’re tired, we’re in the final strides, we’re heading towards the finish line, and we’re carrying our load, and we’re ready for this race to be over and we’re ready for a victory on Tuesday.”

The winner will replace Democrat Sharon Steckman, who is retiring from the seat. 

=== Voters in Clear Lake, northwestern Cerro Gordo County as well as all of Worth & Mitchell counties and the far northwestern part of Floyd County only have one choice on the ballot for House District 60. Representative Jane Bloomingdale of Northwood is uncontested on the ballot. 

=== Votes in House Districts 59 and 60 will be making a choice for the Iowa Senate today in District 30. Democrat Rich Lorence of Mason City faces Republican Doug Campbell of Mason City for the seat that was vacated earlier this year by Republican Waylon Brown. 

=== In House District 58 which includes most of Floyd County, all of Chickasaw County and the eastern two-thirds of Bremer County, Republican incumbent Charley Thomson of Charles City is being challenged by Democrat Gail Allison of Ionia.

=== In House District 55 which includes all of Franklin and Hamilton counties, the southeastern third of Wright County and far northern Story County, Republican Shannon Latham of Sheffield is unopposed in her re-election bid. 

== In House District 56 which includes all of Hancock and Humboldt counties and the northwestern half of Wright County, Republican incumbent Mark Thompson of Clarion is being challenged by Democrat Kyle Kruse of Hardy.

== Voters in both House Districts 55 and 56 will also be voting for a state senate candidate in Senate District 28 as Republican incumbent Dennis Guth of Klemme faces Democrat Cynthia Paschen of Jewell.  

== In House District 9 which includes all of Winnebago and Emmet counties as well as the northeastern three-quarters of Kossuth County, Republican incumbent Henry Stone of Forest City is being challenged by Forest City Democrat Christian Schlaerth.