Electoral politics are a blunt instrument, and we will always be forced to make compromises and pick imperfect candidates. Results suggest trends, not clear paradigm shifts.
Last night’s results in Johnson County, a primary run during increasingly pointed conversations around the appropriateness of spending $100 million on a new jail (and, as Sheriff Kunkel makes sure to point out, office), suggest continued skepticism in Iowa City, where District 4 and District 5 both nominated (and, because they’re Iowa City, almost certainly will elect) candidates who were skeptically pro-jail over candidates who were enthusiastically pro-jail.
Both Mandi Remington and V Fixmer-Oriaz have been accused of dancing around their support of a new jail (I might suggest they offered nuance) and not being appropriately submissive to law enforcement and enthusiastic in their jail support.
Both won by good margins against real opponents with experienced, establishment backing.
Difficult to not see that as a trend.