Election 2025

Unofficial results from the 2025 Baxter city government election have Daniel Kunkel taking the mayoral race over fellow candidate Stephen C. Smith.

Lindsay Bethards, Joel Schabilion and Michael Churchill were the top-three candidates for the three open Baxter City Council seats in the Nov. 4 election.

The mayoral race was decided by only six votes, with Kunkel receiving 160 and Smith 154 votes. There were also nine write-in votes.

For Baxter City Council, Bethards received the most votes with 238 votes, followed by Schabilion with 193 votes and Churchhill with 155 votes. Candidates Tootie Samson received 148 votes while Brad Hier tallied 121 votes. There were 12 write-in votes.

In Colfax, Brad Magg and Karla Jones retained their city council seats, both having run unopposed.

Robert Perry will serve as the mayor of Mingo while Melanie-Goaley-Pleggenkuhle was the sole city council candidate for the three open seats. There were 83 write in votes for the open city council seats, as well.

For school board, Cory Robinson and Zach Morphew-Rapp were elected in Baxter after running uncontested. Four seats that were on the ballot in Colfax-Mingo School Board will be filled by Chet Williams, Kendra Perry, Patrick Utz and Caitlin Otto who all ran unopposed.

The PPEL, or a physical plant and equipment levy tax, passed for the Baxter School District with 73.59 percent approval. PPEL is not to exceed 67 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation of the taxable property within the Baxter School District and can be used to purchase and improving grounds, constructing schoolhouses or buildings and opening roads to schoolhouses or buildings, purchase buildings, purchase, lease or lease-purchase of technology and equipment, pay debts contracted for the erection or construction of schoolhouses or buildings, not including interest on bonds, procure or acquisition of libraries, repairing, remodeling, reconstructing, improving or expanding the schoolhouses or buildings and additions to existing schoolhouses, expenditures for energy conservation, renting facilities under Iowa Code Chapter 28E, purchasing transportation equipment for transporting students, lease purchase option agreements for school buildings or equipment, or purchasing equipment authorized by law.