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GOP voters choose Heikes for County Commission seat
HARTINGTON — Cedar County voters turned out in strong numbers Tuesday night, and when the ballots were counted, Justin Heikes had separated himself from the pack in a tightly watched three-man race for the District 3 Cedar County Commission seat.
Heikes captured 356 votes to win the four-year term, finishing ahead of Kelly Hammer with 230 votes and Tim Burbach with 226.
The race drew added attention after longtime Commissioner Dave McGregor announced he would retire at the end of his current term, opening the door for new leadership on the county board.
Countywide, 41.9 percent of Cedar County vot-ers cast ballots in the election. Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit said turnout was even stronger in the precincts voting in the District 3 commissioner race, although exact figures were not available at press time.
For Heikes, Tuesday’s victory marked a successful first run for public office.
“I would like to thank the people of Cedar County and my friends and family for their support and everyone that contributed to my campaign for their help,” he said.
Heikes said he believed voters responded to the amount of work he put into the campaign.
“I think I did my homework and that showed,” he said.
The 41-year-old said campaigning became part of his daily routine over the past several months.
“I was out talking to people all of the time,” he said. “I think the fact that I’m young and want to be into it for the long haul — I think that resonated with people.”
Heikes has served as Cedar County Weed Superintendent for the past five years, a position he said helped increase his visibility across the county.
“A lot of people know me because of that,” he said.
During an April candidate forum, Heikes acknowledged the position carries a steep learning curve but said he was prepared to invest the time needed to learn the job.
“There’s a lot to doing this job,” he said at the forum. “None of us has experience as a commissioner. It will take time to fully understand the job.”
Burbach, a former Hartington City Council member, said after the election that some of his proposals may have been viewed as too aggressive by voters.
During the campaign, Burbach advocated for the county to explore new revenue streams to help control taxes, including the possibility of purchasing and operating a county-owned gravel pit.
“I think with different ideas that may have changed how the operations work, people didn’t particularly like that,” Burbach said. “And I think with all the chaos people are seeing in Washington, D.C., people don’t want to see that in their county.”
No Democrat filed for the District 3 seat. Unless an independent candidate files by petition and defeats Heikes in the Nov. 3 general election, he will officially take office in January.
