Clayton County voters will head to the polls Tuesday, June 2, for Iowa’s primary election, which includes a contested Republican race for two seats on the Clayton County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Doug Reimer will face three newcomers in the Republican primary, while current supervisor Steve Doeppke is not seeking reelection. No Democratic candidates filed.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters must be registered with a political party to participate in that party’s primary, though no-party voters may declare a party affiliation at the polls and vote accordingly. Absentee voting is also available through the Clayton County Auditor’s Office, with ballots able to be cast in person at the courthouse ahead of Election Day or by mail for those who requested one.
Clayton County’s Board of Supervisors is made up of three members elected to four-year terms. Current members are Doug Reimer, first elected in 2022; Steve Doeppke, first elected in 2018; and Ray Peterson, first elected in 2020. As part of election coverage, Times-Register and The Guttenberg Press reporter Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns asked each candidate the same set of questions regarding their background, priorities and vision for the county. Responses are published below as submitted, with minor edits for style and clarity.
Brian Harbaugh
Brian Harbaugh is a lifelong Clayton County resident and dairy farmer from the Garnavillo area who now farms between Gunder and Postville with his wife, Koral. He farms approximately 700 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa, and currently raises purebred Holstein heifers. Harbaugh has been active in the Iowa Holstein Association, served more than a decade on the Northeast Iowa Cooperative board of directors, including as vice president, and serves on the Postville Cemetery Board representing St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Why are you running, and why should voters choose you?
Working and living in Clayton County my whole life has developed an appreciation of the county’s attributes. My desire is to give back to the county in a role where I believe my successful farming experience can bring value to the supervisor position. The highs and lows of running a business like I have for over 35 years, and continuing to learn not only in the good times but especially in the lean times, make me the best candidate for this position.
How do you view the role of a county supervisor?
The supervisor’s role includes levying taxes to raise tax revenue for the county, approving budgets of county departments and approving salaries, just to name a few. The county supervisor needs to be open to listening and able to work with all residents, county staff and boards to find solutions that are workable for all the people involved in any particular situation.
What are Clayton County’s greatest strengths and biggest challenges?
The rural communities are the county’s strong foundation. Agriculture is the backbone of its economy and infrastructure. I would like to work at promoting more businesses to stay in Clayton County. Local farmers benefit by having access to complementary parts and services. The county’s beauty is extraordinary beyond compare. We need to build on our natural resources, thus expanding our tourism. With that, we will draw more people to the county and give our local economy a boost.
One challenge is that we need to take advantage of grant opportunities to build on our natural resources, such as the current effort to build onto a nature trail in the Elkader area, for example. We also need to keep improving our medical resources so rural healthcare is always available to our rural citizens.
What is your vision for Clayton County if elected?
I want Clayton County to be the desired place where people feel comfortable setting down roots and raising a family, where economic stability and security build the foundation of the American dream.
What would be your top budget priorities, and how would you make tough funding decisions?
My top priority is to balance the budget while keeping property taxes under control. I would always make “needs” a priority over “wants” when everything cannot be funded.
How would you improve transparency and communication in county government?
I believe in transparency and accountability. That being said, I believe the current policy of public meetings is sufficient.
How should the county prioritize roads, bridges and infrastructure?
I would prioritize the most-traveled routes that show the most urgent need for attention. First, I would make sure the budget would allow for day-to-day maintenance because that is a must-have, but we also need to be looking ahead to the projects we know will need to be done in the near future. One focus that should be kept in mind is the agriculture sector. Their equipment is growing in size, and our transportation routes need to evolve. We also need to consider semi traffic in rural farming areas. We need to make sure we are keeping up with their demands.
How should Clayton County approach data centers and similar development proposals?
I would encourage county officials to investigate all aspects of an economic opportunity, then let the topic be handled through the proper channels so approval or disapproval can be determined. During the whole process, it is important that the subject be brought up in front of the public. I feel the public should have the opportunity to have a voice. After all needed information is gathered and all questions are answered, then the elected officials should have the appropriate tools to make the most beneficial decision for the residents of Clayton County.
Douglas Puffett
Douglas Puffett is a 40-year-old husband, father of three and fifth-generation farmer raising grain and beef cattle in southern Clayton County. A 2004 Starmont High School graduate, he earned a degree from Iowa State University in 2008. Puffett serves on the Clayton County Planning and Zoning Commission, County Conference Board, Magistrate Appointing Commission and Republican Central Committee, and is active in his local school board and church council.
Why are you running, and why should voters choose you?
I am passionate about securing the future of our county for you and your family. As a proud Iowan, that means stepping up to serve and putting in the work needed to ensure Clayton County remains a gem in our state. As a younger member of our community, I’m dedicated to making sure every voice not only is heard, but can help shape the decisions that affect our families and communities.
How do you view the role of a county supervisor?
The county supervisor has an obligation to hear residents’ concerns, listen to all sides of the issues and make decisions in the best interest of the county. This includes, but is not limited to, adopting a budget, maintaining county infrastructure, serving as a liaison between the board of supervisors and their respective committee assignments, supporting county staff and department heads for the betterment of county services, all while serving as a member of the executive board for the county.
When difficult decisions need to be made, I will gather all information from public stakeholders and carefully review it before reaching a resolution. Ultimately, the role of a supervisor is to represent the county and community members in which it serves.
What are Clayton County’s greatest strengths and biggest challenges?
Our greatest strength is our natural resources, which we use to produce goods and services in the county. As a member of the agricultural community, I support the men and women in agriculture and those in supporting industries.
Currently, Clayton County government is fiscally sound. It has sufficient reserve funds available, and our secondary roads department has invested in their shops and additional garages throughout the county to serve the residents. I would work to continue to fulfill the secondary roads maintenance plans. If sufficient reserve funds are available, tax increases should not be necessary at current spending levels.
One challenge that I have identified is future compliance with the property tax reform legislation, which caps reserve funds and sets annual tax increases at 2%. Another challenge we face is increased day-to-day county operational costs associated with fuel, equipment and personnel.
Addressing these challenges will require constant monitoring, such as identifying large changes or outliers that could greatly affect the year-end balance sheet. Unfortunately, government agencies never truly use a profit and loss statement or change in equity position to evaluate their financial condition. These business-type tools or processes should be integrated.
What is your vision for Clayton County if elected?
I am running for supervisor to keep Clayton County financially strong while delivering reliable core services and maintaining safe, well-kept county facilities, roads and infrastructure.
I will prioritize and focus on responsible budgeting, protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring Clayton County remains a safe and welcoming place to live, work, run a business and raise a family.
Ultimately, I want Clayton County to be a place where, as adults, my children still want to call home. It’s important to encourage the next leaders here in the county. Just as I have received encouragement and guidance, I want to return the favor in helping the next generations get involved.
What would be your top budget priorities, and how would you make tough funding decisions?
My top priorities would be maintaining public infrastructure, consisting of secondary roads and county buildings, while ensuring county government operates responsibly and efficiently.
I believe strong fiscal management starts with responsible budgeting and protecting taxpayer dollars. When building the county budget, I will first consider projected revenues before committing to any new spending. When evaluating any proposed expenditure, the total costs to the county must be considered.
If certain requests cannot be funded, prioritization should be given to county-affiliated subcommittees over non-governmental organizations.
How would you improve transparency and communication in county government?
My first consideration would be to insert a public comment line item in the weekly board of supervisors agenda.
Public comment would be limited to 10 minutes per meeting, with each speaker being provided two minutes. This allows a resident the opportunity to address the board of supervisors with a comment or concern. This agenda item would be non-actionable nor discussable during the public comment period, but would allow the chair of the board of supervisors to consider an action item for a future meeting.
If elected, I would support public hearings being publicized in order to improve transparency.
How should the county prioritize roads, bridges and infrastructure?
Infrastructure needs should be prioritized by level of use and condition to determine repair versus full replacement. High-traffic areas with safety concerns should be addressed first.
I believe the county should take advantage of available state and federal funding opportunities whenever possible, even when local matching funds are required, as these partnerships can help reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
When ongoing maintenance costs become excessive, I would support replacement projects that improve safety, reliability and long-term efficiency for the county.
How should Clayton County approach data centers and similar development proposals?
In February 2025, a data center moratorium was passed through the board of supervisors’ office and then extended in December 2025, which is set to expire in December 2026.
The planning and zoning commission was tasked with drafting an ordinance to regulate data centers because there is no place to categorize these facilities in the current zoning code.
As a member and current chair of the planning and zoning commission, in September 2025, I asked for the moratorium to be extended due to the transition and new hire of the zoning administrator, since no action had occurred between February and September. Work began on our data center ordinance draft in November 2025.
When evaluating data centers and similar developments, the risks and rewards need to be heavily vetted, while allowing for public comment and coming to a resolution that addresses the short- and long-term concerns of the county.
Doug Reimer
Doug Reimer is a retired farmer, current Clayton County supervisor and lifelong county resident. He and his wife, Kathy, have two adult children and four grandchildren. Reimer has served on numerous boards, including the Guttenberg Municipal Hospital Board, where he chaired the building process from 2008 to 2011, the Land O’Lakes Corporate Board and a national food security board.
Why are you running, and why should voters choose you?
I am giving back to the county I grew up in. My great-grandfather came to Clayton County in 1866 and bought the farm where I lived until July 2025 in 1870.
I believe there is no place better to live than Clayton County. The people here are honest, hardworking and friendly.
I am the current county supervisor running for reelection and am in my fourth year. I have experience with county government. I work well with the other board members. I have worked with people from different parts of the county and have many hours of board training along the way.
How do you view the role of a county supervisor?
The biggest responsibility we have is keeping our county financially strong. We are the caretakers of the budget. Our last county audit showed that we are fiscally strong.
I take calls from residents. I direct individuals to the proper person if I cannot answer their question. I work hard at understanding county operations.
When I started my first term as supervisor, I went to every office to find out what they did—not to intervene, but to learn about each office so I could do my job better.
With controversial issues, I listen to both sides. I try to get the best information I can and make a decision.
What are Clayton County’s greatest strengths and biggest challenges?
Clayton County’s greatest strengths are our citizens, the physical beauty of our county, the county’s general fiscal strength and our county employees.
We need to keep working hard to keep our county a place where people want to come visit or live.
We have a good workforce of county employees. We need to treat them fairly.
What is your vision for Clayton County if elected?
I am excited about the future of our county. With that excitement, we have some challenges to address. We need to keep the balance between taxes paid and services offered.
We have looked into offering health insurance for our employees without a higher tax burden to our citizens.
What would be your top budget priorities, and how would you make tough funding decisions?
Budgeting is an ongoing process. With some items, we are limited in what we can do by the state legislature.
Since I have been on the board, we have looked at everything presented to us, then gone back and decided what to do with each request.
It is a process that causes me to think hard about all the different departments and services we have in our county. This is one thing I do not take lightly.
How would you improve transparency and communication in county government?
I am already on record supporting livestreaming our meetings.
I was on the strategic planning committee. One of the items that came from the surveys was more transparency from the board of supervisors. I am 100% in agreement.
How should the county prioritize roads, bridges and infrastructure?
In Clayton County, there are 880 miles of gravel roads, 220 hard-surfaced and seal-coated roads, 220 more bridges and culverts, cattleways and other infrastructure.
Our engineer and 40-some employees work hard at keeping our roads safe.
The engineer put together a five-year plan of what needs to be taken care of. Sometimes the plan might change depending on need. He keeps us well informed on what is going on for maintaining the roads.
How should Clayton County approach data centers and similar development proposals?
The data center issue is a very controversial issue. The planning and zoning commission will help decide the future of data centers.
With many issues, I try to read information I can find, attend webinars, talk to people on both sides of the issue and, if I can, find something in operation to look at.
This does not mean I am sitting on the fence or unwilling to make a decision. It means with this issue, or any other, I want to keep all the information I can so I can make a good final decision.
Paul Tiffany
Paul Tiffany is a Clayton County resident living near Farmersburg with his wife, Monica, where they operate a small cattle operation and row crop a farm that has been in Monica’s family for more than 100 years. Both work off-farm in the healthcare industry, and Tiffany has served in local fire and rescue for the past seven years. He also supports his wife’s business, Tiffany & Weller farm market.
Why are you running, and why should voters choose you?
In the time I’ve served in fire and rescue, I have developed a love for my community and I love public service. My wife and I have found great joy in volunteering in the community, helping with fundraisers and inviting the community to our farm to learn about the joy of agriculture and how important it is to our local economy.
I’ve never considered myself a politician, just a friend, neighbor or relative to those in Clayton County. Like most voters, I’m concerned about the cost of living, work, healthcare and the protection of our natural resources that we enjoy in this great corner of Iowa.
How do you view the role of a county supervisor?
The role of supervisors has never been more important. Residents want to know the money they have funded to the county through property taxes is being well spent.
Simultaneously, the county is faced with the same burden of inflation and needs to be funded well enough to care for our roads, parks and our healthcare system. This can lead to difficult decisions when there are multiple challenges.
I think the most important factors when making decisions are first to be a good listener and secondly to spend the time necessary to understand the outcomes that may occur when the decision is made.
What are Clayton County’s greatest strengths and biggest challenges?
I think one of the county’s strengths is its people. Over the years in healthcare, I’ve met hundreds of talented men and women, many of them doctors, nurses and first responders.
Some years ago, when my wife fell ill and was hospitalized, neighbors, customers and many in the community that we did not know came together and supported us any way they could. My wife and I will never forget that and have been motivated to pay it forward.
Secondly, I’m taken with the natural beauty that we have here in Clayton County and find that one of the greatest assets we have is to share that with the rest of the world through tourism.
Some challenges I see are inflation and a very large secondary road system that has fewer taxpayers than some of the other counties with greater populations.
What is your vision for Clayton County if elected?
My overall view for Clayton County is simple. I want kids to be able to grow up, get an education and be able to return to our rural hometowns and raise families if they so desire.
In order for that to happen, we need good schools, safe roads, affordable property taxes and access to quality healthcare. If elected, I would make decisions that would foster these goals.
What would be your top budget priorities, and how would you make tough funding decisions?
Top concerns for the budget would be emergency services, including an emphasis on the growing need for assistance with mental health.
I also would emphasize the need for road and bridge infrastructure, including the decline of our gravel roads.
I might also mention protecting our natural resources, whether that may be development and construction projects or keeping our parks beautiful for residents and their visitors.
I think the best way to look for ways to fund needed projects is to be efficient and look for ways to eliminate waste.
How would you improve transparency and communication in county government?
I absolutely support transparency and realize not everyone has the time needed to be at the supervisor meetings.
I think video would be a great way to offer a more convenient method of transparency while at the same time increasing understanding amongst our community.
How should the county prioritize roads, bridges and infrastructure?
I think improving and maintaining roads and bridges begins with planning. Working with the engineer to plan for upcoming challenges and expenses could help to keep our roads in good shape and improve them as time and funding permits.
It’s important to remember how much we use our roads in this county. We produce a surplus of pork, beef, milk, turkey, corn, soybeans and lumber in this county. Much of that product leaves this county using secondary roads.
And the most important asset our county transports is on school buses. We have to keep roads and bridges safe for our kids.
How should Clayton County approach data centers and similar development proposals?
I’ve been asked about data centers more than anything else. It is true there are advantages and obvious disadvantages. In my personal opinion, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
My primary concerns are protecting our water and electrical grid. Residents can’t afford to pay more for electricity, and really, they shouldn’t have to for the sake of a data center.
I’ve traveled much of the United States in the last 20 years, and I can tell you one of our greatest strengths in Iowa is our water supply. A lack of water could harm tourism, agriculture and even homeowners.
At minimum, I’d like to see a moratorium. Rushing to bring a data center to the county, I feel, would be detrimental.
