Story County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
20 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 12 Story County races, led by the Story County Board of Supervisors, District 1 contest.
County offices
Board of Supervisors, District 1Linda Murken (D) · Jeff Staton (R)
Linda Murken (Democratic) and Jeff Staton (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Story County Board of Supervisors, District 1.
Linda Murken
Top priorities
- Rural broadband access
- Affordable housing
- Water quality
Per the per Yahoo News (Ames Tribune).
About Linda Murken
Linda Murken grew up on a farm in Franklin Township near Gilbert, graduated from Iowa State University and worked in adult community corrections, ending as Director of the Second Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, per the county's official profile. She retired from corrections in 2010, helped organize the Gilbert/Franklin Township Fire and Emergency Rescue Agency, and has served on the Board of Supervisors since 2019, per her campaign site.
Jeff Staton
Top priorities
- Infrastructure and reliable core services
- Fiscal discipline
- Sustainability and targeted growth
Per the per Yahoo News (Ames Tribune).
About Jeff Staton
Jeff Staton is an associate professor of practice at Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business and is seeking his first term as a supervisor, per the Ames Tribune. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Incumbent Democrat Linda Murken, previously elected to the board at-large, ran unopposed in her party's June 2, 2026 primary (2,947 votes, 99.93%) and faces Republican Jeff Staton, who also ran unopposed in his primary (1,451 votes, 99.32%), per the county's official Election Summary Report.
Full race pageBoard of Supervisors, District 2Ross Eveland (D) · Martin Chitty (R)
Ross Eveland (Democratic) and Martin Chitty (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Story County Board of Supervisors, District 2.
Ross Eveland
Top priorities
- Government transparency
- Fiscal responsibility
- Improving access to emergency services in rural Story County
Per the per Yahoo News (Ames Tribune).
About Ross Eveland
Eveland says he is running because "there should always be at least two options for every election," per Ames-area press coverage. No campaign website was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Ross Eveland.
Martin Chitty
Top priorities
- Fiscal responsibility
- Rural representation
- Economic growth
Per the per Yahoo News (Ames Tribune).
About Martin Chitty
Marty Chitty is a third-generation Story County resident who grew up on a farm near Nevada and spent nearly 25 years with FedEx, per his campaign site. He is a former Story County supervisor and has served 17 years on the Nevada School Board, 13 of them as president, per the same site.
Open seat: incumbent Lisa Heddens, previously elected at-large, did not seek re-election, per the Ames Tribune. Democrat Ross Eveland ran unopposed in his party's primary (1,839 votes, 99.30%). Republican Martin "Marty" Chitty won a three-way primary over Gannon Hendrick and Ricardo Martinez II with 1,377 votes (54.47%) to Hendrick's 904 (35.76%) and Martinez's 244 (9.65%), per the county's official Election Summary Report.
Full race pageBoard of Supervisors, District 3Latifah Faisal (D) · Kirk Nesset (R)
Latifah Faisal (Democratic) and Kirk Nesset (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Story County Board of Supervisors, District 3.
Latifah Faisal
Top priorities
- Affordable housing and expanding housing at all income levels
- Infrastructure safety, including roads, bridges and emergency response services
- Clean water and environmental stewardship
Per the campaign site.
About Latifah Faisal
Faisal has served on the Story County Board of Supervisors since being elected at large in 2020, per the campaign site. A Story County native and Iowa State University graduate, she describes her approach to the office as people-first, per the campaign site.
Kirk Nesset
Top priorities
- Government efficiency
- Commerce development
- Lower property taxes
Per the per Yahoo News (Ames Tribune).
About Kirk Nesset
Nesset is a city appraiser, per Ames-area press coverage. No campaign website was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Kirk Nesset.
Incumbent Democrat Latifah Faisal, previously elected to the board at-large and serving six years, ran unopposed in her party's primary (1,434 votes, 99.93%) and faces Republican Kirk Nesset, who also ran unopposed in his primary (536 votes, 99.26%), per the county's official Election Summary Report.
Full race pageAttorneyTimothy C. Meals (D) · Nikolas Pilcher (R)
Timothy C. Meals (Democratic) and Nikolas Pilcher (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Story County Attorney.
Timothy C. Meals
Timothy Meals is the Story County Attorney; he worked in the county attorney's office from 2000, became lead criminal prosecutor in 2017 and first assistant county attorney in 2018, per the Iowa State Daily. He was appointed county attorney in early 2020 and elected in November 2020, per the Ames Tribune. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Nikolas Pilcher
Top priorities
- Robust crime prevention with strong law enforcement support
- Establishing a veterans court
Per the per the Ames Tribune.
About Nikolas Pilcher
Niko Pilcher is a lawyer in Huxley with a general practice firm, a U.S. Army veteran of 8 years and a Huxley volunteer firefighter, per a 2022 profile from the Republican Party of Story County. He holds a bachelor's degree from Bradley University and a law degree from Southern Illinois University, per the same profile. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Incumbent Democrat Timothy C. Meals ran unopposed in the June 2, 2026 primary (5,944 votes, 99.80%). No Republican filed for the primary ballot (write-in votes only); Republican Nikolas "Niko" Pilcher is reported as the party's November nominee, matching the county GOP's past practice of nominating by county convention when no candidate files by the deadline, per Ames-area press coverage and the county's official Election Summary Report.
Full race pageTreasurerTed Rasmusson (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ted Rasmusson (Democratic) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Story County Treasurer.
Ted Rasmusson
Ted Rasmusson is the Story County Treasurer, per the county's staff directory. The treasurer is responsible for receipt, accounting and disbursement of county funds, per the county's Treasurer's Info page. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Incumbent Democrat Ted Rasmusson ran unopposed in the June 2, 2026 primary (6,260 votes, 99.84%); no Republican filed. He is the only candidate on the November ballot, per the county's official candidate list and Election Summary Report.
Full race pageRecorderStacie Herridge (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Stacie Herridge (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Story County Recorder.
Stacie Herridge
Stacie Herridge is the Story County Recorder, per the county's government page and staff directory. The recorder's office keeps real estate records and other public records, per the county. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Incumbent Republican Stacie Herridge ran unopposed in the June 2, 2026 primary (3,882 votes, 99.51%); no Democrat filed. She is the only candidate on the November ballot, per the county's official candidate list and Election Summary Report.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Story County is split across 5 Iowa House districts.
Find your districts by addressIowa House: 5 districtsDistricts 48, 49, 50, 51, 55
Iowa House District 48Chad Behn (R) · Benjamin Olsen (D)
Chad Behn
Chad Behn serves his first term in the Iowa House, has a communication degree from Presentation College and an associate degree from Des Moines Area Community College, and was a Boone County supervisor from 2016 to 2020, per the Iowa Legislature's biography. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Benjamin Olsen
Top priorities
- Addressing nitrate levels in water through USDA-recommended prevention measures
- Investing in Iowa's public schools
- Expanding rural job opportunities
Per the campaign site.
About Benjamin Olsen
Benjamin Olsen is the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 48 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Olsen, of Ames, is a product order engineer at Emerson with a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University, per Campaign site / AOL. Olsen previously worked as a lubrication technician and served as a page for the 87th Iowa General Assembly, per Campaign site.
Chad Behn (Republican), Benjamin Olsen (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 48; Chad Behn is the sitting member, per the legis.iowa.gov legislator roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIowa House District 49Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell is a lifelong Ames resident serving her eleventh term in the Iowa House, with a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa and a master's degree in public administration from Iowa State University, per the Iowa Legislature's biography. She serves on the board of All Aboard for Kids, which runs summer camps for children with autism, per the same page. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (Democratic) is on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 49; Beth Wessel-Kroeschell is the sitting member, per the legis.iowa.gov legislator roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell is the only candidate on the ballot for this seat; unopposed candidates still appear on Iowa ballots, so the race is on the November 3 ballot but is not contested.
Full race pageIowa House District 50Ross Wilburn (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ross Wilburn
Top priorities
- Lowering healthcare, food, childcare and utility costs
- Protecting reproductive health care decisions
- Supporting public schools
Per the campaign site.
About Ross Wilburn
Ross Wilburn is the sitting Iowa House Representative for District 50, covering Ames, a former mayor, social worker and member of the Iowa National Guard, per his campaign site.
Ross Wilburn (Democratic) is on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 50; Ross Wilburn is the sitting member, per the legis.iowa.gov legislator roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot. Ross Wilburn is the only candidate on the ballot for this seat; unopposed candidates still appear on Iowa ballots, so the race is on the November 3 ballot but is not contested.
Full race pageIowa House District 51Brett Barker (R) · Teresa Perin (D)
Brett Barker
Top priorities
- Supports reducing the tax burden on Iowans and helping Main Street businesses and agriculture
- Supports modernizing infrastructure and supporting law enforcement and first responders
Per the campaign site.
About Brett Barker
Brett Barker is a pharmacist who has served Story and Marshall Counties for more than 15 years and serves on the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, per his campaign site. He was sworn in to the Nevada City Council in 2010 and later served as Mayor of Nevada, Iowa, per his campaign site. He is seeking re-election to Iowa House District 51.
Teresa Perin
Top priorities
- Protecting the Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS)
- Supporting family farms and opposing the use of eminent domain for private business interests
- Fully funding public schools and raising the minimum wage
Per the campaign site.
About Teresa Perin
Teresa Perin is the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 51. She teaches high school English in the Marshalltown Community School District and lives on farmland in rural Marshall County, according to KCRG. Perin is a graduate of West Marshall High School and Iowa State University and holds a master's degree from Viterbo University.
Brett Barker (Republican), Teresa Perin (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 51; Brett Barker is the sitting member, per the legis.iowa.gov legislator roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIowa House District 55Beau Klaver (R) · Cynthia Oppedal Paschen (D)
Beau Klaver
Top priorities
- Protecting family farms and creating opportunities for beginning farmers
- Making it simpler for small businesses to start and create jobs
- Expanding the Choose Iowa Food Program for local, healthy food in families and schools
Per the campaign site.
About Beau Klaver
Beau Klaver is a sixth-generation Hamilton County farmer from Kamrar who started a precision agriculture drone business, BK Air, in 2023, per the Freeman Journal. He graduated from Iowa State University in agricultural studies and served as a clerk in the Iowa Senate, per the same paper.
Cynthia Oppedal Paschen
Top priorities
- A responsive legislator who shows up, answers the phone and holds town halls
Per her remarks reported by the Freeman Journal, Sept. 2026.
About Cynthia Oppedal Paschen
Cynthia Oppedal Paschen is the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 55 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's certified candidate list is the only verifiable source for Cynthia Oppedal Paschen.
Beau Klaver (Republican), Cynthia Oppedal Paschen (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 55. Not on the November ballot: Shannon Latham, the sitting member per the roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageIowa Senate District 25Paul Wacker (R) · Herman C Quirmbach (D)
Paul Wacker
Top priorities
- Preserve American freedoms as a self-described conservative voice for Iowa Senate District 25
Per the campaign site.
About Paul Wacker
Paul Wacker is the Republican candidate for Iowa Senate District 25. He filed with the Iowa Secretary of State in March 2026, per the state's certified candidate list, which lists an Ames address for him.
Herman C Quirmbach
Herman Quirmbach is a retired Iowa State University economics professor serving his sixth term in the Iowa Senate, per the Iowa Legislature's biography. He served on the Ames City Council from 1995 to 2003, per the same page. No campaign website was found as of September 29, 2026.
Paul Wacker (Republican), Herman C Quirmbach (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa Senate District 25; Herman C Quirmbach is the sitting member, per the legis.iowa.gov legislator roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the June 2 primary; No Party candidates qualify by nominating petition. The field is the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list, as read September 11, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
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Who is on the ballot in Story County, Iowa on November 3, 2026?
Story County sample ballot 2026: see where the board of supervisors, county attorney and county treasurer candidates stand on agriculture, roads and jobs. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Iowa?
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Candidate roster last updated Sep 29, 2026 from official election sources.