Benton County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for County Board of Supervisors,, County Treasurer and County Recorder and more, and where they stand on the budget, agriculture and housing.
County offices
Board of Supervisors, District 2Terry Hertle (D) · Bethany Hantz (R)
Terry Hertle
Terry Hertle appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Benton County Board of Supervisors, District 2, per the official candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 23, 2026.
Bethany Hantz
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Transparency and accountability in county government
- Responsible county budgeting
- Property rights protections for landowners and farmers
About Bethany Hantz
Hantz has lived in Benton County for 22 of the past 23 years and owns her own midwifery practice, per her campaign site.
Open seat: sitting Board of Supervisors chairman Tracy Seeman, whose term expires in 2026, is not among the candidates, per the county's Board of Supervisors roster page and the county's official candidate list. Democrat Terry Hertle faces Republican Bethany Hantz on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Full race pageTreasurerMelinda Schoettmer (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Melinda Schoettmer (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Benton County Treasurer.
Melinda Schoettmer
Melinda Schoettmer is the incumbent Benton County Treasurer, seeking reelection unopposed, per the county treasurer office's own page. No campaign website was found as of September 23, 2026.
Unopposed. Incumbent Republican Melinda Schoettmer is seeking reelection, per the county's official candidate list and her name appearing on the county treasurer's own department page.
Full race pageRecorderLexa S. Speidel (R) · Allison Hicks (D)
Lexa S. Speidel
Lexa S. Speidel currently serves as Benton County Recorder, per Benton County Elections. No campaign website was found as of September 23, 2026.
Allison Hicks
Allison Hicks appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Benton County Recorder, per the official candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 23, 2026.
Incumbent Republican Lexa S. Speidel, the sitting county recorder, faces Democrat Allison Hicks on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the county's official candidate list and the county recorder's own department page.
Full race pageAttorneyRay Lough (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ray Lough (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Benton County Attorney.
Ray Lough
Ray Lough is the incumbent Benton County Attorney, seeking reelection unopposed, per the county attorney office's own page. No campaign website was found as of September 23, 2026.
Unopposed. Incumbent Republican Ray Lough is seeking reelection, per the county's official candidate list and his name appearing on the county attorney's own department page.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Benton County is split across 2 Iowa House districts.
Find your districts by addressIowa House: 2 districtsDistricts 76, 84
Iowa House District 76Matt Reisetter (R) · Calvin Horn (D)
Matt Reisetter
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Lower taxes and lower costs
- Controlling government spending
- Protecting agriculture and private property rights
About Matt Reisetter
Reisetter is a small business owner and Hudson City Council member, and a high school head basketball coach, per the campaign site. Reisetter directs the Cedar Falls Bible Conference, per the campaign site.
Calvin Horn
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Water quality solutions developed with landowners and farmers
- Transparent, accountable government spending
- Support for public education funding
About Calvin Horn
Calvin Horn is the Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 76 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 General Election candidate list. Horn is the Democratic candidate for the open Iowa House District 76 seat, which Republican Rep. Derek Wulf is vacating to run for lieutenant governor, per Iowa Capital Dispatch / The Gazette.
Matt Reisetter (Republican), Calvin Horn (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 76. Not on the November ballot: Derek Wulf, 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 House District 84Thomas Gerhold (R) · Polly Denison (D)
Thomas Gerhold
Thomas Gerhold of Atkins has been the incumbent Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives for District 84 since January 1, 2023, according to Valley News Today. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026; the Secretary of State's certified candidate list is the only verifiable source for Thomas Gerhold.
Polly Denison
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Investing in our public schools
- Affordable healthcare
- Jobs and economic growth
About Polly Denison
Denison earned a double major in political science and psychology from the University of Iowa and worked as a paralegal at the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Johnson County Attorney's Office and a Cedar Rapids law firm, per the campaign site. Denison earned her insurance licenses in 2013 and built a practice helping families make informed financial decisions, and lives in Van Horne, per the campaign site.
Thomas Gerhold (Republican), Polly Denison (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Iowa House District 84; Thomas Gerhold 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 pageVoting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Who is on the ballot in Benton County, Iowa on November 3, 2026?
Benton County sample ballot 2026: see where the board of supervisors, county recorder and county treasurer candidates stand on the budget and agriculture. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Iowa?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Iowa are listed on the Iowa election hub. Iowa election hub →
How do I see my exact Benton County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Benton County16 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 27, 2026 from official election sources.