Allen County Clerk Shannon Patterson has filed for election, and the race for District No. 3 commissioner is heating up as just days remain before a filing deadline.
It’s Patterson’s first time running for election, although she’s had the job for nearly two years and has overseen multiple elections during her tenure.
Patterson took over the office in October 2022 when longtime clerk Sherrie Riebel retired. She has worked for the clerk’s office since 2010 and trained under Riebel, who spent about two years working with Patterson to make sure she had the training and certification she needed for a seamless transition.
The local Republican party nominated Patterson to fill the role until Riebel’s term expires in January 2025.
The county clerk is responsible for many local government functions, including serving as clerk to county commissioners. The clerk is also responsible for the budget and the county’s financial records, and helps smaller taxing entities prepare their annual budgets.
County clerks also serve as county election officers in 101 out of 105 Kansas counties. They maintain voter registration rolls, train poll workers, and are responsible for all aspects of running an election. Clerks have many other duties dictated by Kansas statute.
TWO IOLA Councilmen — one former, one current — are entering the race for county commission District No. 3.
Nickolas Kinder, who represented Iola’s First Ward from 2020 until his term expired in January, filed for the commission seat as a Republican. He works at Verizon in Ottawa.
That sets up an Aug. 6 primary for the seat, as former commissioner John Brocker has also filed as a Republican. Incumbent Bruce Symes announced he would not run.
Councilman Jon Wells announced on Facebook he plans to run for county commission District No. 3 as an independent. The filing deadline for independent candidates is noon Aug. 5 and they must file by petition. Wells has submitted his petition but signatures are still being verified.
Wells is a history and political science instructor at Allen Community College. He was first appointed to the Council in June 2013 to represent Iola’s Ward 1, then ran unopposed in 2015. He served as Iola’s mayor from 2018 to 2022. Wells successfully ran for the First Ward seat again in 2023 and began his latest term in January.
THE DEADLINE to file for election is noon Monday, June 3, at the clerk’s office at the courthouse.
That’s also the deadline for voters to change party affiliation.
All county offices will be up for election — attorney, clerk, register of deeds, treasurer, sheriff — along with two county commissioner seats. Because of a vacancy, voters in the City of Moran will fill a council position in November.
The general election is Nov. 5.
