Clay County, IA elected officials: county supervisors, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Clay County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies. 6 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Supervisors

Clay County Board of Supervisors

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Supervisor, At-LargeAllen W. Batschelet Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeArt Hamrick Republican source
County Supervisor, At-LargeBarry G. Anderson Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeCourtney DeLoss Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Supervisor, At-LargeRandy E. Swanson Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County AttorneyTravis S. Johnson Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County AuditorAnn Baschke Republican source
County RecorderSheila Weeks Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffChris Raveling Republican source
County TreasurerLeAnn Black Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

How many local governments Clay County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 20 local governments in Clay County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships100
School districts (school boards)20
Special districts (elected boards)70

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Clay County

16,461people
42.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$65,428 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
11.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
27.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$178,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.5%U.S.: 8.4%
36.4%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
22.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.7% · White 91.1% · Black 0.3% · Asian 0.8% · Other or more than one race 3.1% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Clay County

2.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.8%. Iowa: 3.2%.
233people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
8,542people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
8,775in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Clay County 0.0%1.1%2.3%3.4%4.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)2.7%2338,5428,775
August 20263.0%2658,5138,778
July 20262.9%2568,6628,918
June 20262.8%2558,7278,982
May 20262.5%2218,6678,888
April 20262.2%1968,6138,809
March 20263.0%2618,5798,840
February 20263.1%2758,4978,772
January 20263.3%2908,5378,827
December 20253.0%2698,7329,001
November 20252.8%2478,6848,931
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.8%2508,6568,906
August 20253.2%2788,5438,821
July 20253.4%3058,7079,012
June 20253.2%2898,7569,045
May 20253.1%2738,6288,901
April 20252.9%2608,6408,900
March 20253.5%3088,6008,908
February 20253.5%3058,4988,803
January 20253.6%3208,6008,920
December 20243.0%2688,5758,843
November 20243.4%3008,4468,746
October 20243.6%3148,4758,789
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.2%2828,6408,922
20243.3%2918,4768,767
20232.8%2498,5858,834
20222.8%2438,5408,783
20213.3%2918,4518,742
20204.3%3708,2258,595
20192.6%2348,6238,857
20183.2%2848,5828,866
20173.6%3208,5508,870
20163.8%3408,7129,052

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Iowa's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.2% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Clay County

73.1 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 233.9.
645.3 per 100,0002025. Iowa: 1,171.7.
1murders2025, 12 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20251273.1106645.3
2024953.8128765.6
20231378.5149900.2
202222132.8123742.7
202118112.51711,069.1
202025157.02561,607.5
201925156.31991,244.3
201820124.41951,212.6
201725153.72711,666.6
201622133.72701,640.7
By police agency (2)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Spencer Police Department20251110011,447
Clay County Sheriff's Office20242125,217

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Iowa · the U.S.

Police staffing

1.95 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 16,426 people.
32sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
22civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Spencer Police Department20911,447
Clay County Sheriff's Office12134,979
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025321.95222
2024271.62192
2023321.93212
2022311.87222
2021311.94102
2020311.95122
2019311.94232
2018301.87222
2017291.78232
2016281.70232

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Clay County County Attorney?
Travis S. Johnson (Democratic) is the County Attorney of Clay County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Clay County County Auditor?
Ann Baschke (Republican) is the County Auditor of Clay County, Iowa.
Who is the Clay County County Recorder?
Sheila Weeks (Republican) is the County Recorder of Clay County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Clay County Sheriff?
Chris Raveling (Republican) is the Sheriff of Clay County, Iowa.
Who is the Clay County County Treasurer?
LeAnn Black (Republican) is the County Treasurer of Clay County, Iowa. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Clay County commissioners?
Allen W. Batschelet (County Supervisor, At-Large); Art Hamrick (County Supervisor, At-Large); Barry G. Anderson (County Supervisor, At-Large); Courtney DeLoss (County Supervisor, At-Large); Randy E. Swanson (County Supervisor, At-Large).
What is the population of Clay County?
About 16,461 people, with a median age of 42.3; the median household income is $65,428 and 11.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Clay County?
2.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 233 people unemployed in a labor force of 8,775, against 2.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Clay County?
20 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 10 municipal, 2 school district and 7 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from county election offices' elected-officials pages where they publish one, and elsewhere from the Iowa Secretary of State's certified 2022 and 2024 general election results (each seat's last election); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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