Democrats Jon Green and V Fixmer-Oraiz won the two open seats for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. Fixmer-Oraiz won 31.7 percent of the vote and Green won 35 percent of the vote on Tuesday. according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office.

The race was called at 8:48 p.m. with 63 of 66 precincts reporting.

Green and Fixmer-Oraiz ran against Republicans Phil Hemingway and Jammie Bradshaw — who won 17.2 percent and 14.2 percent of the vote respectively and Independent Eric Heick, who won 1.7 percent. 

Both candidates celebrated their wins at Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City. 

Green shared his thoughts on winning reelection.

“Johnson County leads Iowa,” Green said. “Tonight, these election results indicate that having V on the board with us, we have an opportunity to do tremendous work.”

Reacting to their win, Fixmer-Oraiz said their win is a mixture of relief and excitement. 

“It’s been a long race, it’s been a long nine months,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “I’m also just really excited about what this means for Johnson County, for Iowa, for my community, the LGBTQ+ community, and I am really honored and humbled to be in this moment and this position.”

University of Iowa sophomore Jake Wicks said the win is encouraging for Johnson County. 

​“It’s really good to see some local success and V being elected is great, and Jon. I’m very pleased with them winning,” Wicks said. 

Stephanie Gutierrez, a UI graduate student was excited about Fixmer-Oraiz’s win. Gutierrez said their speech almost brought her to tears. 

“It makes you feel like regardless of anything, I will see my identities being showcased,” Gutierrez said. “So I’m just really proud of them.”

Jon Green

Green was first elected to the supervisors after winning a special election in 2021 to fill the vacant seat left by Janelle Rettig.

He attended the UI and Morningside University, graduating from the latter with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication. Before becoming supervisor, he worked in information technology and then as Mayor of Lone Tree.

He campaigned on issues such as using the $29 million in funds the county received from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) to be “distributed in a prioritized manner,” pushing for creating more affordable housing, police reform, and others.

With his win on Tuesday, Green is ready to continue the work he’s started with the supervisors.

“We at the county have done a lot of things to solidify our fiscal status, and I think that we are in a good position to meet the challenges set before us,” he said.

Green will serve his first full term alongside fellow winner Fixmer-Oraiz, who won the seat being vacated by Pat Heiden who said she wouldn’t run for reelection. They join current members Royceann Porter, Lisa Green-Douglas, and Rod Sullivan.

Republican supervisor candidate Phil Hemingway told The Daily Iowan on Tuesday that he was happy to have run for the seat, but disheartened by the outcome. 

Fixmer-Oraiz

After their win Tuesday, Fixmer-Oraiz looked ahead to their priorities now elected.

“I look to really continue some of the affordable housing work that I’ve been doing. and then also I would like to look at climate, climate action,” Fixmer-Oraiz said. “So affordable housing and climate action are some of the first two things I’ve started working on.”

They campaigned on issues such as inclusive economic development, affordable housing, racial equity and LGBTQ+ inclusion, connectivity and mobility, and climate resilience and COVID-19 recovery.

Fixmer-Oraiz attended and graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in urban and regional planning, and has worked in planning for the private sector and then a nonprofit concerned with watershed planning.

They founded Astig Planning in 2019, a company that focuses on climate change and social justice through planning. 

Vincenzo Mazza contributed to this report.