INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) 鈥 Earlier this summer, a GOP-controlled board in an Iowa county decided that the person who would oversee their local elections would be a fellow Republican who had no specific experience running elections and who made prior social media posts questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential contest. Local Democrats were outraged 鈥 and David Whipple's stint as county auditor didn鈥檛 last long.
On Tuesday, voters in Warren County overwhelmingly decided to replace Whipple with Kimberly Sheets, a Democrat who had served in the auditor's office. She earned about 67% of the vote over Whipple in the special election, which highlighted the desire for voters to choose their own candidate for the important office and take a stand against what some saw as an overreach by local government.
鈥淭here was a power grab,鈥 Steven Rose, 71, of Indianola, said of Whipple's appointment to the post after the former auditor retired in June. Rose, who voted for Sheets, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 voting against what the Board of Supervisors did as much as I鈥檓 voting for the candidate.鈥
The dustup in the increasingly red suburban and rural county south of Des Moines is the latest example of . being run by people who have of the 2020 presidential election or have about how elections are run. But in Warren County, the way Whipple was appointed drew just as much 鈥 if not more 鈥 ire from voters as some of his online posts.
The auditor's position in Warren County opened up in May, when Democrat Traci VanderLinden retired after 25 years in the post. VanderLinden was the only Democrat to hold office in the county's government, having been most recently reelected in 2020. Sheets, her deputy since 2019, was recommended to take her place.
But in a June 6 public meeting, the three-member, all Republican, Board of Supervisors voted to appoint Whipple to the post 鈥 despite his lack of experience in government and his prior posts that seemed to support former President Donald Trump's unfounded claims of election fraud in 2020.
In his support for Whipple, County Supervisor Darren Heater said during the June meeting that the board isn't afraid to drive change, even if it is hard.
鈥淲e all love Kim Sheets. I mean, anybody that鈥檚 worked with her for more than 10 minutes will love her,鈥 Heater said. 鈥淏ut this is kind of a defining moment for Warren County,鈥 he went on. 鈥淎re we going to continue on the path that鈥檚 got us where we鈥檙e at or are we gonna do something big and change?鈥
At least one member of the board suggested he was aware of Whipple's social media posts at the time of his appointment, according to the Des Moines Register, including posts made after the 2020 election in which Whipple included the hashtag #StopTheSteal. In another, he commented: 鈥淭rump has got this... The left has tried real hard to steal our nation, but no thanks we will remain Patriots and free Americans,鈥 according to screenshots taken by the Des Moines Register. Whipple also shared a statement from Trump on Dec. 22, 2020, saying 鈥淗e鈥檚 not leaving despite media reporting. I鈥檓 loving this!鈥
鈥淲hen you have the sitting president of the United States saying that, wouldn鈥檛 it create some emotion for everybody to sit back and say, hey, if there鈥檚 smoke, let鈥檚 see if there鈥檚 fire?鈥 Whipple told The Associated Press on Monday, as he explained why he made the online comments.
Whipple, who said he has since deleted the posts to protect his friends and family, said that he didn鈥檛 closely follow the investigations that unsubstantiated Trump鈥檚 claims but that he accepts Joe Biden as the legitimate president.
Whipple鈥檚 campaign to be elected to the office focused on issues he said he's found and worked to resolve in office operations since becoming interim auditor, including voting equipment that was unaccounted for, accrued late fees and poorly maintained county buildings.
But from the jump, Whipple also was forced on the defensive for his social media posts.
Alison Hoeman, 47, of Norwalk said she was shocked by Whipple鈥檚 posts and couldn鈥檛 trust him as a result, even if he鈥檚 since said the election was legitimate.
鈥淲hether he鈥檚 doing it on purpose or whether he didn鈥檛 read it or whether he believes it or whatever, that person can鈥檛 be in charge of our elections,鈥 Hoeman said. 鈥淯nder pressure, people say a lot of things, right? But it鈥檚 what you did at the time.鈥
Since the and that it was stolen, there has been heightened concern surrounding those who oversee elections, from the state to local level. In the 2022 midterms, several candidates who denied or questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election ran for statewide office -- winning their primaries in states such as Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania in the general election. A few were elected.
At the local level, some have also gained control 鈥 about how they will if they don鈥檛 believe elections are fair. Former clerk Tina Peters has been charged in connection with a security breach inside her election office that resulted in a copy of her county鈥檚 voting system hard drive being posted online. Yet she has emerged as a prominent figure among those who about rigged voting machines.
Peters has denied wrongdoing and faces trial later this year.
Earlier this month, , was among 19 people, including the former president, charged in what prosecutors describe as a 鈥渃onspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.鈥 Prosecutors allege this included a security breach of election equipment in the south Georgia community.
In Warren County, Amy and Jim Wooley hadn鈥檛 seen or heard about Whipple鈥檚 past comments. The retirees of Otter Creek, an unincorporated community in rural Indianola, said they voted for Sheets because she has the experience. Jim Wooley, 72, said: 鈥淭his to me is much more about experience than it is about R or D.鈥
Frances Kuncel, 72, of Ackworth, said it was the county officials鈥 right to choose a Republican as interim auditor and there was no need for a 鈥渕agnanimous鈥 decision that she said would 鈥渘ever鈥 come from the other side.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 see that in a Democrat-controlled state,鈥 she said, having recently moved to Iowa from Illinois.
Whipple's concern about election integrity and the work he has said he's done to secure the process since taking office convinced Dan Robinson, 46, of Norwalk.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 huge,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nybody that鈥檚 going to stand up and help fix that, take care of that, that鈥檚 where I鈥檓 going to vote.鈥
For Chris Shipley, though, those posts were disqualifying. He said he didn鈥檛 want somebody who denies an election or relays conspiracy theories 鈥渁nywhere near my government.鈥
He also didn't like that Whipple was 鈥渉anded鈥 the job.
鈥淚f the people come out and vote and he gets the job, then fine, then he鈥檚 earned it,鈥 said Shipley, 52, who lives in Norwalk. 鈥淏ut just handed him the way that they did? I just don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 right.鈥
鈥淟ocal elections are just as important as national elections,鈥 he said. 鈥淓specially ones like this.鈥
