By KAREN HEINSELMAN, karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com | Posted: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 5:05 am
PARKERSBURG - Seated mayors lost races to newcomers in Tuesday's general election in Northeast Iowa while other city leaders will remain at the helm.
Mayors in Parkersburg, Independence and Jesup didn't receive enough votes to return for another term, according to unofficial results from county auditor's offices. Incumbents in Charles City and Shell Rock were reelected.
In Parkersburg, councilman Perry Bernard beat Mayor Robert Haylock in a three-way race. Bernard - who recently filled a vacancy on the city council when his brother-in-law went to Iraq - received 211 or almost 46 percent of the votes. John Heffner earned 127 votes, more than 27 percent. Haylock, mayor for eight years, earned 120 votes, slightly more than 26 percent.
During the campaign, candidates highlighted ongoing tornado recovery and continued development as an important issue for Parkersburg. An F5 tornado wiped out hundreds of homes and businesses on the south side of Parkersburg in May 2008.
Independence will have a new mayor. Carl Scharff defeated incumbent Frank Brimmer 971 to 504.
So will Jesup. Dick Quackenbush, received 275 votes, to incumbent Jake Spiegel's 166 votes.
Shell Rock Mayor Larry Young came out in front of challenger Jim Thompson. Young won with 172 votes. Thompson received 52.
In Dike, two write-ins battled for a mayoral seat to be left vacant when longtime Mayor Donald Knudsen finishes his term. Mike Soppe, an employee in the Cedar Falls Public Works Department, received 320 votes. Marty Frangenberg, a former business owner from Marshalltown, received 124 votes.
Charles City Mayor Jim Erb was re-elected Tuesday over councilman Kevin Simonson by a vote of 726 to 656.