Union school board Director District 1 write-in winner Reid Carlson (center back) of La Porte City is pictured with his wife Stephanie (second from left) and children Emma, Jack, Matt, and Kate. Contributed photo

County auditors are guaranteed a certain number of write-ins to tally every election cycle — from ‘anyone else’ to ‘Big Bird’ to ‘can’t remember the name’ — they’ve probably seen it on a ballot.

This past combined city/school election was no different, but the write-in candidates in two separate northeast Tama County races — Union Director District 1 and Dysart City Council — determined the winners this year.

Union Board of Education

In the Union Community School District board race, there were three seats up for election on November 2 — District 1, District 2, and At Large. No incumbents chose to run again including Darrell DeWinter for his District 1 seat.

Lindsay Pipho of Dysart was the only Director At Large candidate on the ballot, winning her race with 477 votes, while Maureen Hanson of rural La Porte City was the only candidate for the District 2 seat. Hanson won with 448 votes.

There was no candidate for the District 1 seat.

Reid Carlson of La Porte City mounted a write-in campaign ahead of the election and won across both Tama and Black Hawk counties.

Carlson, an accounting manager at John Deere and a La Porte City native, was offered the seat by the Black Hawk County Auditor last week — the county where the majority of his votes originated — and he accepted.

Carlson is now the unofficial winner until the canvass is completed at the Monday, November 22 Union school board meeting.

“My intention was to file papers for the seat but due to work I didn’t have time to get the required signatures,” Carlson said when reached via text message after the election.

Carlson has not served on the school board previously but he and his wife Stephanie currently have three children in the district as well as a 2020 Union High School graduate.

“I feel it’s important to give back to our community,” Carlson said. “Serving on the school board is one way to do that. Additionally, [my wife and I] have had many positive experiences working with teachers and para educators as our children have grown and I’d like to ensure that our teachers have the proper support and tools to continue to make them successful.”

Carlson is set to be sworn in at the board meeting scheduled for Nov. 22 beginning at 6 p.m. in the Union High School Library Media Center.

Dysart City Council

In the Dysart City Council race, three seats were up for election and similar to the Union school board race, none of the incumbents chose to run again.

Derek Neegard and Jenn Alpers won their council races as the only candidates on the ballot with 115 and 109 votes respectively.

There were 71 write-in votes for the third seat according to the unofficial results from the Tama County Auditor’s Office.

Steven Stoner was the winner of the write-in tally with 30 votes.

As of publication, the city of Dysart had not yet received the official results nor been made aware that Stoner had accepted the seat.

If Stoner does accept the seat — following the official canvass — he would be sworn in alongside Neegard and Alpers at the January council meeting.

Write-in Totals for Traer, Dysart, and Clutier

Traer Mayor (vote for one)

Cory Dostal-1

Sarah Dostal-1

Traer City Council (vote for two)

Mason-1

Blank-3

Dick Renzo-1

Kalan Deke-1

Dennis Kucera-1

Julie Mask-1

Josh Youel-1

Eric McEwen-1

Carol Detje-1

North Tama Director District 1 (vote for one)

Clint Murty-3

Dick Renzo-1

Anyone-1

Clayton Vogeler-1

Logan Zobel-1

North Tama Director District 2 (vote for one)

Andrew Knaack-3

Nick Riley-6

Blank-1

Anyone-1

Nicholas Riley-1

Caleb Wheeler-1

Anyone Else-1

North Tama Director District 3 (vote for one)

Blank-1

North Tama Director District 4 (vote for one)

Van Svoboda-1

Jo Bitcon-1

Dysart City Council (vote for three)

Richard Griffin-19

Pedro-2

Steven Stoner-30

Brad Blackburn-1

Jesse Hoppe-1

Reese Petersen-1

Marcia Knupp-2

Al Schafbuch-1

Jeff Knupp-1

Jon Grimm-1

Jessie Hoppe-1

Cale Petersen-1

Kory Carty-1

Jonathan Grimm-1

Wendy Wieber-1

Reece Petersen-4

Richard A Krug-1

Union Director At Large (vote for one)

Brooke Reiter-1

Get rid of wrong Admin-1

Union Director District 1 (vote for one)

Brooke Reiter-2

Willis Hennining-2

Kerry Blackburn-1

Blank-2

Catherine Leipold-1

Reid Carlson-9

Juli Kelling Rippert-1

Tom Harmsen-1

Debi Miller-1

Fire Fleshner-1

Mandy Brown-1

Brad Balckburn-1

Al Schafbuch-1

Reed Carlson-1

Stacey Dabney-1

John Miller-1

Cael Petersen-1

Union Director District 2 (vote for one)

Clutier Mayor (vote for one)

hes worthles-1

Thomas Krueger-1

Clutier City Council (vote for five)

Wayne Benson-2

Jane Seda-1

Lavonne Kriz-1

Steph Kupka-1

Tom Gomes-1

Ardeen Cross-1

Jerry Kopriva-1