Weise leads Rivard in Adams commission race

RITZVILLE — Incumbent Jay Weise is leading challenger Hank Rivard in the race for Adams County Commissioner, District 2.  

In unofficial results updated Friday, Weise is leading Rivard with 3,099 votes (66.19%) to 1,498 (31.99%) for Rivard.  As of Friday, there are 85 write-in votes.  

Vote totals will be updated Nov. 15. An estimated 100 ballots are left to count. The election will be certified Nov. 26. 

Both Weise and Rivard expressed gratitude to the people who voted for them and supported them. Weise said he’s been contacted by people who expressed support for his candidacy over the last few weeks. 

“Some people I didn’t expect. That meant a lot to me,” Weise said. 

Rivard said the campaign was a chance to learn more about Adams County. 

“I’ve met some really great people in the different cities,” Rivard said. “It’s actually been fun.” 

Weise said in an earlier interview he always planned to run for reelection, because it takes a while to learn the job and do it effectively. In addition, there are some projects he started and wants to finish, he said.  

Some projects, such as building a strategic plan for the county, are still works in progress, he said. Some are closer to fruition, such as updates to the county’s financial management software to make it easier for residents to use. He said he wants to find a solution to the issue of the Adams County Jail, which has been closed since 2022.  

Rivard said in an earlier interview that he would support the passage of a “Home Rule Charter,” which would allow the county to convert the commission to a council, with the option to have an elected or appointed executive. 

Rivard also said he would review the Adams County budget and look for ways to use its resources more efficiently. He also supported finding a solution to the jail, but said he thought commissioners should’ve moved more quickly.  

    Rivard