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Miller wins auditor post

(Cedar Rapids Gazette)CEDAR RAPIDS — Democrat Joel Miller easily won election last night to the post of Linn County auditor, besting Republican candidate Dan Abolins and four non-party candidates.
 
Miller garnered 15,317 votes or 55.7 percent to Abolins’ 8,614 votes or 31.3 percent with the other four candidates trailing well behind.
 
The candidates watched the returns come in on a large screen at the Auditor’s Office, where Miller will begin his new duties — including those of commissioner of elections — on Tuesday after an official canvass of votes.
 

With most of the votes in, Abolins, 41, of Marion, shook hands with Miller, calling him ‘‘a true gentleman’’ and thanking him for running ‘‘a clean campaign.’’
 
The vote outcome was never in doubt once the first returns began coming in as Miller jumped to a 55-30 percent margin and held that margin throughout the night. He waited, though, to make any victory comments until all but two precincts had reported and Abolins had wished him well.
 
Celebrating an election victory too soon isn’t appropriate for the person who now will run the county’s election operation, Miller said.
 
‘‘It’s good to win by a pretty wide margin, and I certainly appreciate the votes and the confidence that everyone put in me,’’ said Miller, 51, of Robins, where he is part-time mayor Miller said he will arrive at work Tuesday with a respect for the office that he is about to lead.
 
‘‘There is a lot of experience there,’’ he said of the current staff. ‘‘This is viewed as one of the best offices in the state and one of the best in the nation. ‘‘That’s a pretty high mark for everyone to keep and improve upon. That’s what I’m going to try to do. There won’t be quantum improvements, but there will be some incremental things that we’ll work on as time goes by.’’
 
With Miller’s victory, all eight elected offices in Linn County government remain in the hands of Democrats.
 
Miller is filling the final 22-plus months of the term of longtime Auditor Linda Langenberg. A Democrat, she resigned in January to become deputy Iowa secretary of state in charge of elections.
 
According to Linn County election figures, Miller won 83 of 86 precincts in the county, as well as the absentee vote. He bested Abolins in the absentee count, 1,646 to 863. Turnout was 21.3 percent of eligible voters.
 
Miller won the vote in Robins’ precinct, while Abolins, of 630 Telluride Trl., Marion, won one of 12 Marion precincts. He also won in the Marion and Monroe 1 Township precincts.
 
As for his future as Robins’ part-time mayor, Miller said he asked the Linn County Attorney’s Office for a legal opinion of whether he can hold that post and the auditor post. He would like to finish out the last year of his mayoral term, he said, adding he will decide later — if permitted — about seeking re-election to the mayor’s post.
 
The four non-party candidates finished this way: Patricia Ehler, 44, of 7324 Revere Dr. NE, 1,738 votes; Sally Schaab, 59, of 2641 Zika Ave. NW, 772 votes; Dennis Hill, 48, of 1116 Center Point Rd. NE, 578 votes; and Ron Maxa Jr., 30, of 1433 Yuma Dr. NW, 401 votes. Miller said last night that he and his employer have been preparing for his departure should he win the election. He is information technology director and a property manager for Four Oaks, the human service agency with headquarters in Cedar Rapids.