The first day of the last week of candidate filing for the June 8 primary saw more activity over at Secretary of State Mike Mauro's office, with Governor Chet Culver making the re-election bid official Monday.
For my Johnson County folks first: My senator, Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa City) filed in Senate 39, which is basically most of Iowa City. (Locals: That's everything east of Mormon Trek). Bolkcom beat an independent about three to one in 2006, and that was his first primary or general election opponent since he went to the Senate in 1998.
Also locally, first-term Rep. Nate Willems (D-Lisbon) gets an opponent in Republican Shawn Graham of Springville. Willems was a solid winner in 2008 when Ro Foege stepped down in House District 29 (half Linn, half Johnson). And former legislator Sandy Greiner, after a two year hiatus, filed in Senate 45 where she's likely to brush aside three (!) other Republican primary candidates and face first-term Sen. Becky Schmitz (D-Fairfield) in a top-tier race.
2008 2nd Congressional District nominee Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Ottumwa) filed again Monday. She's the only one of four candidates seeking to challenge Dave Loebsack who's from outside Linn County. Steve Rathje and Rob Gettemy have their papers in; Christopher Reed, not yet.
In the 1st District, Ben Lange of Independence is the first Republican to file.
In the 3rd CD Dave Funk is the third official candidate. Funk has the cool url congressneedsfunk.com. Miller-Meeks had an ambulance, will Funk have a Mothership?
Will the 3rd CD declare "We Want The Funk" on June 8? Will we see One District Under A Groove? Can Dave tear the roof off the sucka? Or will Boswell triumph and keep the 3rd CD like Sir Nose: D'Void O'Funk?
I better bring the Mothership in for a landing here. Story County Treasurer Dave Jamison files in the Republican primary for state treasurer (where he faces Dyersville mayor James Heavens.) Two years ago they couldn't even get one candidate against Mike Fitzgerald.
(The GOP looks set to have a full slate this cycle, and even some contested primaries, but there's not even a hint of a Democrat to challenge David Vaudt...)
As the pace picks up this week, I may not mention every candidate who's already or may file every single time, and the post may slip later and later into the evening (I have family stuff to do, too). When this is all done, I'm hoping to wrap it into a every-race list for you to clip-n-save.
That said, on to the legislative races:
Two other Senate incumbents joined Bolkcom in filing Monday: David Johnson (R-Ocheyedan), a comfortable 2006 winner in District 3, and Wally Horn (D-Cedar Rapids) of District 17; he was unopposed in 2006.
On the House side, embattled incumbent Kerry Burt (D-Waterloo) dashed the private hopes of a lot of Democrats and filed for a second term in House 21. Still four days for a primary challenger to jump in.
Both parties filed in open House District 7 where Rep. Marcella Frevert (D-Emmetsberg) is retiring. Democrat John Wittneben is on the Estherville city council; Republican Lannie Miller is on the West Bend-Mallard School Board.
(People give me crap for mentioning party when those local non-partisan elections are going on, but this is why. Look at these posts and see all the mayors and school board members, on both sides. Local government is a great way to build your team's bench.)
The open seat House 73 (Tymeson) Republican primary field is now officially up to three. Farmer/attorney Julian Garrett joins Madison County supervisor Joan Acela and Roger Billings on the ballot.
An odd development in District 11, where Dennis Olsen of Joice is primary challenging Rep. Henry Rayhons (R-Garner.) Anyone who knows the deal here, please speak up. Winner sees 2008 Democratic nominee Ann Marie Fairchild.
Democrat Mike Gerhart of the Rhodes city council is challenging first-term Republican Annette Sweeney, who also filed Monday in House 44. Sweeney won a top-tier open seat race over Tim Hoy in 2008.
Cedar Falls bar owner Darin Beck filed in House District 19, where incumbent Bob Kressig (running again) was a 57% winner last time.
Rep. Dave Deyoe (R-Nevada) is seeking a third term in House District 10. Deyoe was a late replacement candidate in 2006, amidst all the shuffling that happened when Stu Iverson quit his re-election race. This time Deyoe faces 2006 Democratic congressional candidate Selden Spencer, who may be looking to follow the example of...
Paul Shomshor (D-Council Bluffs), who turned a congressional loss to Steve King in 2002 into a summer 2003 House District 100 special election win for a Democratic gain. Shomshor held on with 52% in 2008 and filed again Monday.
Altoona Republican Aaron Warner filed in House District 42, where Democratic SixPacker Geri Huser was unopposed in the general in 2008 (after she got some official party help in fending off her primary challenger...)
Two Cedar Rapids House incumbents filed Monday. Democrat Todd Taylor (District 33) was unopposed in 2008 (Republican Jim Burke has announced but not filed). But Republican Renee Schulte won the closest race in the state in House 37, knocking off one-term Dem Art Staed by just 13 votes.
More House incumbents, who pretty much won easily in 2008:
Look for Terry Branstad and other big names to show up on the Tuesday list.
Should we look for Wayne Ford? He isn't saying, but desmoinesdem remembers Tyler Reedy's primary challenge to Ford last time. How much does that history have to do with the hush-hush?
I also suggest keeping a more than daily eye on Bret Hayworth for the Sioux City shuffle.
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