During a special convention on Saturday, the Johnson County Democratic Party selected Swisher Mayor Julie Persons as the party’s candidate for auditor in the Nov. 7 election. Persons will take the place of Travis Weipert on the ballot. Last month, Weipert, who had served as Johnson County Auditor for almost 12 years, resigned from office and ended his reelection bid due to health concerns.
“With nearly 20 years of professional leadership experience, I’m ready to step into this role on day one,” Persons said at the convention, the Gazette reported. “The auditor’s office is a complex, multifaceted institution. It requires a leader who can effectively manage all of its divisions and guide them through the upcoming year.”
Persons was one of four candidates seeking the nomination at the Saturday morning convention held at Liberty High School. She received 60 of the 111 votes cast by party members, three more than the 57 votes needed to secure the nomination and more than twice the number of votes the second-place finisher received.
Persons is the first woman to serve as mayor of Swisher. She was appointed mayor by the city council in December, following last year’s city election in which no one filed to run for the office.
There were 104 write-in votes cast for mayor in last November’s election. Swisher City Councilmember Daryl Hynek finished as the top recipient of write-in votes with 12, but declined the opportunity to become mayor, choosing to stay on the council instead. There was a three-way tie for second place, with each candidate receiving nine votes. The Johnson County Auditor’s Office, which oversees elections in the county, broke the tie by randomly selecting the name of one of the second-place finishers, and Chad Velvick was declared the winner.
“Mayor Update: Chad has declined the mayor position,” the City of Swisher posted on its Facebook page on Nov. 21. “Council will be discussing next steps in Monday’s meeting.”
The city council decided to fill the position through an appointment. At its Dec. 11 meeting, the council appointed Persons to serve as mayor until the next city election in November 2025.
Persons had been Swisher’s communications coordinator for two years at the time of her appointment. She stepped down from the job before being sworn in as mayor.
In addition to her role as mayor, Persons works as a customer care liaison at Transamerica and serves as public relations chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party.
Persons is currently unopposed in the November election. The Republican Party has not put forth a candidate for auditor.
