Friday, March 16, 2012

District Of The Day Reboot: Iowa Senate District 10, Iowa House District 19 & 20

Senate District 10
Registration: D 10963, R 15545, N 17249, total 43782, R +4582
No Incumbent; contested Republican primary


Dallas County was the fastest growing part of the state last decade, and they've outgrown sharing a Senate district with Boone and Republican Jerry Behn. This decade, most of Dallas anchors a new seat, adding Guthrie and Adair counties and a small chunk of Cass out of Nancy Boettger's old district.

For months it looked like Jake Chapman of Adel, a businessman and president of the Dallas County Young Republicans, had cleared the Republican primary field. He announced way back in May 2011. But on filing deadline day, Matthew Mardesen of Dallas Center made the ballot. He lost a race for Boone County sheriff in 2010. Democrats haven't got a candidate yet.


Campaign finance reports: Chapman for Senate

House District 19
Registration: D 5361, R 8381, N 8951, total 22706, R +3020
Incumbent: Ralph Watts, R-Adel

Watts went to the house in 2002 when old House 47 was created. He may have had the biggest population House district in the state by decade's end; indeed, it had grown to Senate seat size. He loses Waukee and the Dallas County parts of West Des Moines and Clive; together that makes up a whole new House District, the open 44.

Watts keeps Dallas Center, Adel, and Woodward, adds Dexter and Redfield, and loses a township here and there (including a couple in Boone County.) He also picks up a little corner of Polk, north of the Saylorville Reservoir and including Polk City, from Kevin Koester's overpopulated district. The end result of all this demographic and geographic change is a loss of 2000 Republicans for Watts, though he still has a good district. In the old lines he won with 60% in 2008 and 67% in 2010.

Democrats have a credible contender in Ken Herring of Adel, retired chief of the wildlife division of the DNR.

Campaign finance reports: Watts for House

House District 20
Registration: D 5602, R 7164, N 8298, total 21076, R +1562
Incumbent: Clel Baudler, R-Greenfield

With the record number of primary challenges to Republican incumbents, I'm amazed that someone didn't challenge Clel Baudler. He got on the wrong side of the gun lobby, because when it came to the "constitutional carry" and "stand your ground" stuff that Windschitl and company want, ole Clel is a retired cop first.

Baudler at least has a Democratic opponent this time, Democrat Greg Nepstad of Panora.

Baudler loses about 600 Republicans from the old district, but still has a good edge. He keeps the core of his old district 58, all of Guthrie and Adair counties and a similar corner of Cass, which is pretty good considering the growth just to the east in Dallas. He sheds Audubon County. Baudler was unopposed in 2006, won with 58% in 2008, and beat an independent in 2010.

Campaign finance reports: Baudler for State Representative

Original post 5/06/2011 Statewide Map: Front | Back (with City Insets) | Old Senate, House

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