• Article Photo. Dell Hanson arrives at the Sherman Building to vote in the Primary election Tuesday morning.
    Dell Hanson arrives at the Sherman Building to vote in the Primary election Tuesday morning.

Voters throughout Iowa will cast votes in the 2010 primary election today, but in Benton County, several offices have no declared candidates on the party ballots.

County Auditor Jill Marlow and County Attorney Dave Thompson have no opposition in their party primaries, and no Republicans are on the ballot for those races. 

County Treasurer Kelly Geater and County Recorder Lexa Speidel, both Republicans, are running unopposed. Democrats have no candidates on the ballots for those races. 

In the County Supervisor race, incumbent Jason Sanders had initially decided not to seek re-election. But with no other Republicans seeking the job, Sanders is running a write-in campaign. He will likely face Ed Sass  in the November election. Sass is the only Democratic candidate for Supervisor this year. 

The most highly-publicized contested state-wide race this year is the Republican race for governor, where former Iowa Gov. Terry Brandstad is competing against former candidate Bob Vander Plaats and Rob Roberts. The winner will face Gov. Chet Culver in November. 

Three Democrats, including one-time gubernatorial candidate Roxanne Conlin, are competing to see who will challenge U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, who is seeking his sixth term. 

Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell is running unopposed on his party's ticket this year. Seven Republicans are on the ballot for the Third District Congressional seat: Scott Batcher, Pat Bertroche, Dave Funk, Jim GIbbons, Mark Rees, Jason Lee Welch and Brad Zaun. 

Other state-wide races and candidates include:

Secretary of State: Democrat incumbent Michael Mauro is running unopposed in the primary. Republicans Matt Schultz, George Eichhorn and Chris Sanger are competing for a chance to run against Mauro. 

No Democratic candidate is on the ballot for Auditor of State. Republican David A Vaudt is running unopposed. 

State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, a Democrat, will face either James Heavens or David Jamison in November. 

Attorney General Tom Miller is running unopposed on the Democratic ballot. The only GOP candidate for that office is Brenna Findley.

Democrat Francis Thicke will challenge Republican incumbent Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. Each is the only candidate on their party's ballot for that office.