February 05, 2026

Clarke County Democrat caucus report

At their caucus Monday night, Clarke County Democrats heard statements from a large number of candidates for state and congressional offices, elected delegates to their county convention and elected delegates to serve as precinct representatives on the Clarke County Democrats Central Committee for the next two years. They also submitted a number of issues for consideration for the platform at the county convention to be held March 21.

Issues raised included policies for safe water enforcement, landowners’ property rights and limitation of the use of eminent domain for the benefit of private businesses, reinstating the longer mail-in ballot time period, applying the same rules to private and charter schools that are applied to public schools with respect to students with disabilities, vaccine accessibility and age and term limits for elected offices at the state and federal levels With respect to international issues, civil rights for Palestinians were the primary concern addressed.

The current platform of the Iowa Democratic Party can be seen at iowademocrats.org/party-documents. The briefer current version of Clarke County Democrats priorities can be seen at clarkecountyiowademocrats.org/about

Delegates elected to the county convention:

North precinct: Frank Riley, George Paul

Middle precinct: Jan Rychnovsky

Woodburn precinct: Sandra Baringer, Ed White

Osceola 1st precinct: Ann Lovell, Joan Peterson, Ann Murr, Luci Sullivan

Osceola 2nd precinct: David Burgus, Bea Peterson, Sarah Hettinger

Osceola 3rd: Woody Murphy, Terry Jacobsen, Haley Devore

Precinct representatives elected:

North precinct: Phyllis Paul, George Paul

Middle precinct: Jan Rychnovsky

Woodburn precinct: Ed White

Osceola 1st precinct: Joan Peterson, Anne Murr

Osceola 2nd precinct: David Burgus, Bea Peterson

Osceola 3rd precinct: Terry Jacobsen, Woody Murphy