After recently announcing her departure from the Iowa City City Council race, Sharon DeGraw will remain on ballots in the upcoming primary election.
The primary election is set to take place on Feb. 4 and was originally meant to narrow down three candidates to two for the vacant District C seat in the Iowa City City Council.
The District C seat has sat open since the beginning of January as former Councilor Andrew Dunn announced his resignation from his position in October 2024. He cited the resignation due to a growing number of his professional commitments that required travel outside of Iowa City.
The special election will be held on March 4, and only the top two candidates will appear on those ballots. The special election winner will then serve the remainder of former Councilor Dunn’s term, which is through the end of 2027.
Voters in District C are eligible for early voting for the primary election, which ends today, and all Iowa City residents can then vote during the special election on March 4.
DeGraw announced her departure from the race on Jan. 24 in a social media post, where she stated she was suspending her campaign “due to a personal matter.”
The ballots will also include the two other candidates: Ross Nusser and Oliver Weilein.
Nusser, a real estate agent who has grown up in Iowa City, is advocating for affordable housing. The other candidate, Weilein, has worked with several different organizations around Iowa City. His top priorities include focusing on housing justice, immigrant justice, advocating for tenants dealing with abusive landlords, and helping families fight eviction.
Johnson County Auditor Julie Persons said the deadline to remove candidates from the ballots was on Jan. 13, with early voting beginning on Jan. 15.
Despite the change, Persons believes it does not affect the Johnson County Auditor’s Office, as the ballots have already been printed.
“[DeGraw] is still a candidate on the ballot, and people can still vote for her,” Persons said. “If she is one of the winners on Tuesday, she will be on the special election ballot in March, as we don’t have the authority to remove her from any of the ballots.”
Persons also said the dropout has not affected voting, with voters coming in early to cast their ballots.
In addition, Persons said the cost of running the primary and special elections is handled through a shared responsibility between the Johnson County Auditor’s Office and the City of Iowa City.
The total cost of both the primary and special election comes to $100,000, according to City Council meeting documents.
Both parties will ensure all the necessary funds are in place to properly administer the elections and allow voters to cast their ballots, regardless of circumstances.
“We’ll run everything the same way. We’re going to do everything the same way that we always do it on our side, and we’ll report whatever results that people choose,” Persons said.
RELATED: Sharon DeGraw drops out of race for IC City Council
Councilor Megan Alter said she does not foresee long-term effects on future council decisions due to the candidate dropping out, as those effects depend on the specific circumstances and council composition at the time.
Alter also expressed respect for DeGraw’s campaigning and emphasized the importance of timing and situation for running.
“I certainly respect the most important thing for somebody running is you have to know that it’s the right time in the right place and that you’re in the right situation to do that,” Alter said.
She also explained that past decisions, such as special elections or appointments, were based on specific timing and needs. The same will follow with future elections or appointments.
Councilor Shawn Harmsen said it was unfortunate that DeGraw departed from the race but encourages voters to still cast their votes.
“I hope the people of the district will still get out to vote for the primary and make their voices heard as a neighborhood,” Harmsen said. “I hope the rest of the city will spend some time thinking about the two remaining candidates, Ross Nusser and Oliver Weilein, and then get out to vote on or before March 4.”