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RANDOLPH — Voters will have some decisions to make when it comes to determining who will guide the Randolph City Council next year.
As of Tuesday afternoon, four people have filed for the two open City Council seats.
Incumbent Daniel Korth filed for re-election Friday, joining fellow councilman Aaron Nielsen, who filed in January. They are being challenged by Alicia VanDe-Walle and Janelle Biernbaum.
Mayor Dwayne Schutte has also filed for another four-year term. No one has yet filed to run against him.
The incumbent filing deadline was 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17. Non-incumbents have until 5 p.m. Monday, March 2, to file in order to make it onto this year’s ballot.
The 2026 general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit said an incumbent is considered to be anyone serving in an elective office, even if it is not the office for which they are filing.
Two of Randolph’s three school board members up for re-election have decided to seek another term in office.
Randolph School Board members Lucas Miller and Sandy Owens have both filed paperwork with the Cedar County Clerk to seek another term in office. Long time board member Paul Schmit has indicated he does not plan to seek another term on the board, however.
Neb. District 40 Senator Barry DeKay is also up for re-election this year. DeKay, of Niobrara, was first elected to office in 2022.
District 40 represents Cedar, Knox, Holt and Antelope counties. The district also encompasses most of Dixon County and the northern part of Pierce County.
DeKay currently serves as the chairman of the Agriculture Committee. He also serves on the General Affair Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.
Two people with Cedar County ties have thrown their hats in the ring to seek the governor’s office.
Randolph native Sheila J. Korth-Focken is also running for office. She has filed as a Republican to face Gov. Jim Pillen in the May primary election.
Former state senator Lynne Walz is seeking the Governor’s seat on the Democratic ticket. Walz is married to Hartington native Chris Walz.
Anyone wishing to vote in the May 12 primary election has until April 26 to register to vote if they do so by mail, online, or at a State DMV office.
Anyone wishing to register in person at the County Clerk’s office, can do so until the end of the work day on May 1. These same deadlines apply for anyone wishing to change their party affiliation.
The Secretary of State’s office reports there are currently 5,731 registered voters in Cedar County. Of those, 4,019 are resistered as Republican and 889 are registered as Democrats. There are 767 Cedar County residents registered as non-partisan or Independent. Records from the Secretary of State’s office indicate there are 628,052 registered Republicans in the state and 338,124 Democrats. Another 19,622 people are registered as non-partisan or Independent.
Other Cedar County Election News
In Magnet, both Chris Albrecht and Miriam Albrecht have filed for another term on that board.
People seeking village board seats will not appear on the primary election ballot and thus have a later filing deadline.
For village offices, incumbents have until Monday, July 15, to file for re-election. New candidates have until Thursday, Aug. 1, to file.
Belden Village Board members up for election this year are: Janice Wobbenhorst, Chris Aldrich and Robert Patefield. None have yet filed for another term, however.
Two people have filed to replace Dave McGregor as Cedar County commissioner.
McGregor, who represents the central district, announced earlier this year that this will be his final year on the board.
Current Cedar County Road Department employee Kelly Hammer and former Hartington City Council member Tim Burbach have both filed for the seat.
Hammer, of Coleridge, has worked for the Cedar County Road Department since 2019. Burbach joined the Hartington City Council in 2000 and served on it until resigning in July 2013.
Both men have previously challenged McGregor for the job.
Hammer ran against McGregor in the 2022 primary. Burbach and Scott Keiter ran unsuccessfully against McGregor in the 2018 Primary.
McGregor is the only one of the county’s elected officials whose seats are on the ballot this year to not file for another term in office.
Sheriff Larry Koranda, Treasurer Jean Wiebelhaus, Clerk Jessica Schmit, Assessor Janelle Heikes, Clerk of District Court Janet Wiechelman, Surveyor Tim Gobel, County Attorney Ron Temple and Commissioner Dick Donner have all filed to seek another
four-year term.
