Primary races for Board of Supervisors, Auditor, Sheriff, Congress. Our endorsements are as follows:
Thomas Nelson and Jennifer McAndrew Lane for Republican nominations for County Supervisor
Mark Nelson for Republican nomination for County Auditor
Tim Lane for Republican nomination for County Sheriff (incumbent)
David Pautsch for Republican nomination US Congress District 1
Scott County Board of Supervisors
The candidates we support for Scott County Supervisors are competent qualified individuals bringing perspective to the positions useful to the scope of county office — with the kicker being they are change agents intent on transparency and putting a halt to good-ol’ boy and girl politics. They challenge Republican incumbents who have not lived up to what should be Republican standards.
The incumbents they challenge have egregiously let us down by their votes or support for behaviors regarding the public’s right to know regarding political appointments. How dare they wrap themselves in “confidentiality’ regarding the appointment of PUBLIC officials supposedly responsible to us not them? How are we to know that the candidates they passed over to fill a vacant position on the Board were not superior to whom they picked?
One of the challenged incumbents is the beneficiary of the appointment which was essentially done in secret or via the uncontionable allowance of secrecy regarding the installation of a public official, not an employee of the county.
The incumbents have also not been superlative in controlling county spending growth which leads to presumptive spending and build-on budgeting not truly zero-based.
Thomas Nelson brings analytical skills recognized by his superlative performance in the positions he held in service to the country which includes the award of Legion of Merit for his outstanding achievements. His health care background provides important competency in a major aspect of county government. Learn more about his approach to county government in the River City Reader where all the county candidates were provided the opportunity to answer questions pertinent to the position and current controversies. Tom Nelson has been active in Republican events locally for many years and spark-plugged the TEA party events held in Davenport beginning in 2009.
Jennifer McAndrew Lane brings a skill set and knowledge that overlap major involvements of county government – matters related to mental health, social service provisions, judicial system and crime and recidivism. She is a leader who has been active in republican events for years and notably forthright in pursuit of civil liberties regarding covid and more. Learn more about her approach to county government in the River City Reader where all the county candidates were provided the opportunity to answer questions pertinent to the position and current controversies.
Both of these candidates are no-nonsense individuals committed to citizen right to know, and efficient county government and serious adherence to Republican principles. For too many nominee wanabees the Republican nomination is a vehicle for advancement with insufficient attention to applying Republican principles of smaller, less obtrusive, transparent government providing basic services.
County Auditor
David Mark Nelson is the superlative candidate for Auditor who brings a devotion to best practices in service delivery, a needed insightful mind as regards evaluations of subjects under the purview of the Auditor and who as with our other endorsements has a dependable commitment to transparency and the public’s right to know, a matter we believe seriously abridged by the current Auditor’s performance in regards to her position on the County Executive Committee. Mark has been a leader in fiscal responsibility efforts dating back many years as regards the city of Davenport. Like our other endorsees Mark will protect the prerogatives of county government.
Learn more about his approach to county government in the River City Reader where all the county candidates were provided the opportunity to answer questions at substantial length pertinent to the position and current controversies. Take note of the responses of incumbent Kerri Thomkins whose unresponsive drone is pretty much limited to, and we quote, “As the current Scott County Auditor, I follow the law and will continue to do so if I am elected for another term.” Evasive or what we are not sure. Her performance as to appreciation of election integrity matters and purchasing of voter equipment we find wanting. Mark Nelson is the far better choice in the primary for Republican concerns.
County Sheriff
Our listing of endorsements herein is not meant to imply a scale as to the importance of the position to Republican interests. Indeed the position of Sheriff is critical to the our understanding of the Republic. However the position’s main public face / function is fairly described as primary policing (law enforcement) of areas outside the metro area as in rural and smaller towns without a police department or to supplement their own constabulary. The department runs the jail as well. But its purview is more and intricately related to our state constitution and even precepts of the common-law and judicial matters.
Besides having jurisdiction throughout the county, the department the Sheriff runs might be involved in law enforcement as regards investigations of city police who are it should be understood hired functionaries more limited in their scope of responsibilities. The Sheriff is directly accountable to the people, not to the Board of Supervisors or as the police force is to the City Council.
Our support of Sheriff Tim Lane is driven by his performance, by his commitment to the republican form of government, by the involvement he has shown in Republican Party affairs. We ask Republican Party primary voters when and how long have you ever seen Lane’s challengers involvement in support of Republican efforts? Tim Lane regularly attends Central Committee meetings and participates in support of Republican candidates for office. He deserves our loyal support because he has been effective in his loyalty to our country, our state, our county and in support of Republican causes as a citizen participant.
Learn more about his views on important questions asked in the River City Reader where all the county candidates were provided the opportunity to answer questions pertinent to the position and current controversies.
Congress
This letter by Jay Olson commenting in the North Scott Press on May 15th is an impression we share about the candidacy of David Pautsch:
This is an all-American story about a good friend of mine…
An Army Veteran who inspired his two sons to also serve our country, tragically, one did not return home from the battlefield in Iraq.
… a successful business owner.
… a God-honoring man who has shared his faith with thousands, who searched his heart and answered God’s call to help save our nation.
David Pautsch (pronounced pouch)
is challenging an incumbent who no longer is serving the people who trusted her to represent them.
At the recent convention of Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, David received a standing ovation after delivering his remarks. (That’s never happened before!). And it happened again May 4 at the Iowa State Republican Convention in Des Moines. David’s seven-minute speech had standing ovations and at
least 12 bursts of applause.
At the District Convention in April,
the incumbent came in at the last moment and left as soon as she was done justifying her unjustifiable record. The state delegates responded with a similar lack of any enthusiasm. The voters know. A recent independent poll tells it all. The incumbent earned only 32% favorability!
David believes in secure borders, free speech, gun rights, life, honest elections, term limits, farms, rational ener gy and foreign policy, budget controls, constitutional rights and our desperate need for the Lord’s help.
Our country needs a true statesman. To save this nation, vote David Pautsch for the 1st Congressional District
of Iowa on June 4th, and help Make America Great Again.
Mariannette Miller-Meeks has been a great disappointment to Republicans on budget matters and so much more being a weak sister in holding Democrats feet to the fire. She is a big spender uninterested in seriously reigning in the size of the federal government — continuing the “continuing resolution” and omni-bus habits that serve to inculcate all manner of evil Democrat proclivities. The only way to stop it is to stop it. Her positions while sounding conservative are obviated by support for spending bills that counter them. Miller-Meeks supports the do-nothing type of Republican leadership that is our bane. We can do better because Miller-Meeks is high-maintenance and too undependable.
Learn more about David Pautsch here. Miller-Meeks performance evaluations by conservative outlets here and here.