Dallas County voters in District 3 face a choice between a familiar face and a political newcomer this fall, as Republican incumbent Kim Chapman squares off against Democrat Patricia Tice for a seat on the county's newly expanded Board of Supervisors. The district stretches across De Soto, Dexter, Linden, Redfield, Van Meter, southwestern Waukee and west-central West Des Moines, bringing together a mix of small towns and fast-growing suburban edges under one representative.
The race is one of several unfolding this year as Dallas County shifts to a five-district board structure, according to the Des Moines Register. Voters approved expanding the board from three positions to five back in November 2024, a change that KCCI reports drew thirteen candidates into this year's contests across the county's four contested races, as detailed by Raccoon Valley Radio. All five supervisors elected this November, including whoever wins District 3, will be elected at-large and will take office in January 2027.
Two Paths to the Ballot
Chapman is no stranger to the board. She's a current Dallas County supervisor and former business owner who previously served on the county board from 2002 to 2006 and again in 2010, per the Register's candidate profile. Raccoon Valley Radio notes she also worked with Dallas County EMS and founded Midwest Ambulance Service of Iowa, background she has pointed to as evidence she understands the county's departments and budget decisions from the inside.
Tice, by contrast, is making her first run for county office after beating Michael Kern in the District 3 Democratic primary, according to WHO Radio. Per Raccoon Valley Radio, she has worked as a college counselor for Lincoln, ADM and Perry high schools and as a college professor of psychology at Upper Iowa University. Tice has said she is running for county supervisor because she loves Dallas County and wants it to be its best for its residents, the outlet reports.
Growth, Taxes and Core Services
Chapman's central pitch centers on keeping tax levies low even as the county's rapid growth strains roads, services and land use, she told the Register. She says she initiated an update of the County Land Use Plan that is now underway with the county's Planning and Development team, and she has also named property taxes, public safety and infrastructure as priorities, according to Raccoon Valley Radio. The incumbent says she supports property tax reform and transparency and wants to keep what she describes as positive momentum going, arguing the county can combine smart spending with strong services.
Tice frames her campaign around what she calls core services, telling the Register that issue encompasses food insecurity, housing insecurity, child care, senior issues and property taxes. The same report notes Tice supports public hearings on proposed property taxation so residents have a chance to learn more and weigh in. Raccoon Valley Radio adds that she has also flagged water quality and mental illness as issues she wants to address, along with closer coordination with Dallas County's mayors — a goal she says she'd pursue through a strategic planning session involving supervisors and municipal leaders if elected.
Why the Expansion Matters
The District 3 contest is playing out against the backdrop of a structural overhaul of county government. Dallas County is undertaking a countywide Comprehensive Plan update meant to serve as a 20-year policy guide, with MSA Professional Services formally selected as the lead consulting firm, according to Dallas County's own government page. That long-range planning effort underscores why land use and growth management have become such a central theme in this race, particularly for a district that spans both rural communities and the expanding edges of Waukee and West Des Moines.
Three other supervisor races are also on the ballot this cycle. WHO Radio reports Republican Robert Greenway faces Democrat Jason Bennell in District 1, Republican Lance Farrell faces Democrat Ben Nizzi in the newly created District 4, and Republican Oliver Bardwell faces Democrat Julie Bautista in the newly created District 5. Candidates in each contested district advanced through June primaries before reaching the November ballot, per KCCI.
How and When to Vote
Early voting for the general election begins Wednesday, October 14, with Election Day set for Tuesday, November 3, according to the Register. Raccoon Valley Radio has pointed readers to a special edition meet-the-candidates in-depth news magazine, published October 21, for additional detail directly from both Chapman and Tice ahead of the vote.
