Longtime Carroll County Attorney John Werden died this week at age 69.
According to county officials, Werden passed away unexpectedly in Des Moines overnight earlier this week, where he was preparing to deliver Thursday morning’s address to the Iowa State Association of Counties annual conference.
In January, Werden was sworn in as the 2025 ISAC president. He was first elected as Carroll County attorney in 1998 and was reelected ever since, most recently in 2022.
State Auditor Rob Sand released a statement regarding Werden’s passing, saying, “I worked with John on many Carroll County cases when I was a prosecutor. He had a strong sense of right and wrong and always a clear opinion. He will be missed.”
The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is expected to appoint an interim county attorney until someone is selected to fill the remainder of Werden’s term, which expires at the end of 2026. The supervisors could choose to appoint an individual, or they could host a special election to fill the vacancy.
(By Nathan Konz, KCIM, Carroll)