Johnson County Board of Supervisors Candidates Adjust Reelection Campaigns Amid New District System

Redistricting of supervisor seats following state law change has created new challenges for incumbents and newcomers alike.

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

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Following a redistricting of Johnson County Board of Supervisors seats as a result of a new state law, candidates in the county are facing this election season from a different landscape. The districts, announced in December 2025, are the result of a law requiring the three counties that host regent universities to change the way they elect supervisors, electing by district instead of at large. The decision came after legislators called for increased access for rural voting populations in the state. The new districts have placed several sitting board members in the same district, forcing some to adjust their campaigns.

Why it matters

The new district-based system represents a significant change to the way Johnson County residents have voted for supervisors in the past, when all five seats were elected at-large. The redistricting has created new challenges for both incumbents and newcomers, as they must now appeal to more targeted voter bases within their districts rather than the county as a whole. This shift in the electoral process has also prompted a lawsuit from a group of voters claiming the new law violates their constitutional rights.

The details

The new districts place parts of North Liberty, Iowa City, Coralville, Tiffin, and south and west Iowa City into five separate districts. This has resulted in several sitting board members being placed in the same district, including Rod Sullivan and V Fixmer-Oraiz in District Four, and Mandi Remington and Jon Green in District Two. Rather than run against her colleague, Remington chose to move to District Five, where she remains unopposed. Sullivan and Fixmer-Oraiz will run against each other in District Four, with Fixmer-Oraiz highlighting differences in their voting histories on issues like funding for the Community Violence Intervention Program and the size of a new county jail.

  • The new districts were announced in December 2025.
  • Primary elections will take place on Jan. 2, 2026, where all five seats are up for reelection.
  • Johnson County will redraw the districts in 2030 using the results from the 2030 census.

The players

Mandi Remington

A Johnson County supervisor elected in November 2024 who chose to move to District Five rather than run against her colleague Jon Green.

Rod Sullivan

A Johnson County supervisor who has held office for over 20 years and will run against V Fixmer-Oraiz in District Four.

V Fixmer-Oraiz

A Johnson County supervisor candidate who will run against Rod Sullivan in District Four, highlighting differences in their voting histories on issues like funding for the Community Violence Intervention Program and the size of a new county jail.

Sue Dvorsky

A newcomer candidate in District Three who served as the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party from 2010 to 2013.

James Larew

An Iowa City attorney representing a group of voters who have filed a lawsuit claiming the new district-based system is unconstitutional.

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What they’re saying

“I should not have to run for another two years. That's a huge impact, cutting my term in half.”

— Mandi Remington, Johnson County Supervisor (dailyiowan.com)

“My opponent, Rod Sullivan, has held his office for 20 plus years, and I deeply respect the work that he has done for our community. We do agree on a lot of things, but not everything, and our differences matter.”

— V Fixmer-Oraiz, Johnson County Supervisor Candidate (dailyiowan.com)

“Senate File 75 personally affects constitutional rights as voters of those who live in each of the three counties. It diminishes the strength of their vote when compared to the strength of the voters in all of the other 96 counties.”

— James Larew, Iowa City Attorney (dailyiowan.com)

“There was never a time when you could just make a law for one school district or, you know, one county. So those times, clearly, are in our rear view.”

— Sue Dvorsky, Johnson County Supervisor Candidate (dailyiowan.com)

What’s next

The lawsuit filed by a group of voters claiming the new district-based system is unconstitutional is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction to stop the law from moving forward.

The takeaway

The redistricting of Johnson County's Board of Supervisors seats has created new challenges for both incumbents and newcomers, forcing them to appeal to more targeted voter bases within their districts rather than the county as a whole. This shift in the electoral process has also prompted a lawsuit from voters who claim the new law violates their constitutional rights, highlighting the broader implications of the change.