Three of the five seats on the Polk County Board of Supervisors will be decided on Tuesday, Nov. 3, a vote that could reshape more than half a century of combined experience guiding one of Iowa’s largest county budgets.
KCCI reported that longtime District 1 supervisor Angela Connolly and District 4 supervisor Tom Hockensmith are retiring, while incumbent District 1 supervisor Matt McCoy lost a June primary to Democrat John Forbes. The retirements and primary upset mean the incoming board will replace over 50 years of combined service.
District 4, covering the southeastern portion of the county, is the only contested race. Democrat Heather Jones‑Brown and Republican Alyson DeMoss are the two candidates on the ballot. Jones‑Brown, an East High School graduate, said her commitment to community service began during the 1993 floods when she helped distribute water with her grandfather. “I went with my grandpa to Anderson Erickson Dairy to hand out water to my fellow neighbors,” she told KCCI, adding that she will “show up for you all day, every day.” DeMoss, a current Pleasant Hill City Council member, said she entered the race after seeing how local issues affect residents, noting, “It’s way beyond party… it’s about are we going to have representation here in our district that understands the issues and are going to work hard to get results for our community.” Both candidates identified water quality as a top priority, with DeMoss stating it was “one of the biggest reasons why I got into this race.”
The District 1 race features Democrat John Forbes running unopposed after his primary victory, and District 5 also has a single candidate, Democrat Isaah Knox, who will appear on the ballot without opposition.
KCCI noted that Polk County supervisors are the highest‑paid county supervisors in Iowa, earning just under $150,000 annually. While newly elected supervisors will not set their own salaries, they will help oversee the county’s budget, community grants, and Prairie Meadows‑related funding opportunities. DeMoss told KCCI, “We have one of the largest budgets in the state… we oversee a lot of our spending and how that looks for our community.”
Voters in Des Moines and the surrounding areas will receive a ballot that determines who will guide decisions on local services, grant allocations, and infrastructure projects for the next four years. The election will be held at the usual polling locations on Nov. 3, with early voting available according to the county clerk’s schedule. Residents are encouraged to review the candidates’ statements and cast their votes to ensure representation that reflects community priorities, especially on issues such as water quality and fiscal stewardship.
Sources: kcci.com
