Lisa Fleishman is a longtime resident of Warren County, former candidate for Iowa Senate district 11, and the author of “Boots on the Ground, a grassroots tale.” She lives with her husband of nearly 30 years in Carlisle. 

I’m growing increasingly concerned about the special election for Warren County auditor on August 29. On one side is a proven and dedicated public servant in Kimberly Sheets, who has considerable experience as the deputy auditor, acting professionally and in a nonpartisan manner. She knows her stuff because that comes with doing the work every day for years on end.

On the other side is the recently-appointed acting auditor David Whipple. He has zero experience in election administration, is on the record as an election denier and 9/11 conspiracy theorist, and has shared on social media ridiculous posts from people who literally believe the earth is flat. You can’t make this up, folks. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so serious.

Last year I had the honor to run as a candidate for Iowa Senate district 11. Our team left everything on the field by election day. As we watched the results come in last November, we trusted Kimberly Sheets and everyone else in the Warren County Auditor’s office to fairly and impartially deliver the outcomes. While the result was not what campaign hoped for, we knew we could trust not only the Warren County auditor, but the Marion County Auditor as well.

Based on news reports and his own social media posts, David Whipple does not believe in the integrity of our elections. In addition, it is an open secret in Warren County that he has anger management issues and screams at those who work for him in the auditor’s office. Apparently, his fee-fees get hurt when those who are more trained and qualified try to teach him the ropes. He acts like an entitled little brat instead of doing the adult thing, which is learning what the job entails.

Whipple’s first action as the interim auditor was to place his deputy on administrative leave for no good reason. This past week, he rage fired an employee who had been working in the office far longer than he has.

To some degree, I understand Whipple’s career prior to his ill-advised appointment by the Warren County board of supervisors. I’ve worked in the construction trades for nearly two decades. Pointed conversations can happen in that field, but I can promise you that I’ve never screamed at anyone in an office or on a job site. Nor have my colleagues yelled at me. It’s unprofessional, childish, and it certainly doesn’t encourage teamwork or success.

I support Kimberly Sheets for Warren County auditor for many reasons, even though she was the bearer of bad news to our campaign last year. But this alone would be enough: I know she does not broker in temper tantrums. She lives with the rest of us adults in a professional, rational, and emotionally stable reality. That makes her far more qualified for the position than her opponent.

One last thing: I’ve noted Whipple’s campaign signs have flames on them rather than the stars and stripes of Kimberly Sheets’ signs. Perhaps there’s truth in advertising, in that he cannot keep his temper from flaring up. When someone tells and shows you who they really are, you should believe them and vote accordingly, regardless of party affiliation.

Top photo of Lisa Fleishman provided by the author and published with permission.

Editor’s note from Laura Belin: These photos showing the yard signs of David Whipple and Kimberly Sheets were originally published on the candidates’ Facebook pages.