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Johnson County, Iowa
Johnson County is the fifth largest county in the state of Iowa. It is located in eastern Iowa, just south of Cedar Rapids, about 60 miles west of the Quad Cities, and 100 miles east of Des Moines. The population is centered in Iowa City (home of the Univeristy of Iowa), Coralville, and North Liberty (one of the fastest growing towns in the state). Other munipalities include: Solon, Oxford, Tiffin, Hills, Lone Tree, Shueyville, Swisher, and University Heights.
Economy
Johnson County's economy is one of the strongest and most vibrant within the state of Iowa. The largest employer in Johnson County is the University of Iowa -- both as an educational and research institution as well as the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Mercy Iowa City also add to the significant healthcare industry in the county. Other educational firms are also major employers -- including Pearson, ACT, Inc, and the Iowa City Community School District. There is also a signficant advanced manufacturing sector, with Lear, Oral B Laboratories, Rockwell-Collins, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Owens-Illinois Plastic Products, and Alpla of Iowa all having sites in the area. Johnson County is also a regional retail center and is the home of the Coral Ridge Mall, the second largest mall in the state, drawing visitors from around the region.
Politics
Johnson County is typically considered a Democratic stronghold. As of November 2006, registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans by a 2:1 margin, with a breakdown of 44% Dem, 20% Rep, 36% Ind (see current Auditor's statistics). The county government is currently controlled entirely by Democrats -- a Republican has not been elected to the Board of Supervisors since 1962.
Nevertheless, Johnson County gave Bush 22,740 votes in 2004 -- the sixth largest number of votes of any county in the state (outpaced only by Polk, Linn, Scott, Black Hawk and Pottawattamie counties). Johnson County also sends three Republican legislators to Des Moines -- Rep. Sandy Greiner, Rep. Jeff Kaufmann, and Sen. Jim Hahn all represent portions of Johnson County.
