Filing Day 14

Well, that Last Minute Retirement Watch post seems to have worked. Four of the seven House incumbents who hadn't filed or announced retirement made it down to Matt Schultz's office today: Dave Heaton, R-Mt. Pleasant in House District 84, Rick Olson, D-Des Moines in House District 31, and Nick Wagner, R-Marion in House District 68.

The fourth incumbent to file was Mt. Auburn Republican Dawn Pettingill in House District 75. Her opponent, Marengo Democrat Sandra Cronbaugh, also filed.

That leaves three people to watch tomorrow, all Republicans: Chip Baltimore of Boone in House 47, Dan Rasmussen of Independence in House 64, and finally Glen Massie of Warren County in House 26, who I'm pretty sure isn't running.

Lots of News To Me names today, and I'm not even going to bother much with making the narrative artistic.

A primary challenge for Keota Republican Jarad Klein, as church administrator Priscilla Marlar of rural Washigton files in House District 78. She appears to be the daughter of Rick Marlar, who ran a tea party-ish primary against Sandra Greiner in 2010.

Democrat George Yaple of Council Bluffs filed in House District 15. It's the more Democratic of the two Council Bluffs House seats; he'll face Republican Mark Brandenburg. I can't find much about Yaple, but the numbers have this seat looking winnable.

Cedar Falls veterinarian and school board member James Kenyon filed in House District 59. He has a Republican primary against Howard Lyons Jr.; the winner will face Democratic incumbent Bob Kressig in a swing seat.

There's a third Democrat in the Senate District 38 race, as Walford banker Nick Volk filed. Shelley Parbs of Urbana also filed; LaForest Sherman of Grinnell was in earlier. Winner faces GOP incumbent Tim Kapucian in a much-changed swing seat.

An unexpected Democratic primary in no-incumbent House District 72, as Nathan Wrage of Gladbrook, a school custodian and county conservation board member, filed. Tribal executive Christina Blackcloud-Garcia, who also filed today, had announced earlier and got the whole House Democrats press release rollout.

Another Democratic primary in House District 49 as Garland Bridges of Eldora joins Kevin Ericson on the ballot. The winner faces three term Republican Dave Deyoe of Nevada.

Democrat Kristen Keast of Mt. Vernon filed in open House District 95, where she'll likely oppose Center Point Republican Quentin Stanerson. Incumbent Nate Willems, D-Lisbon, is running for Senate 48.

Two Dubuque Republicans filed in Senate District 50 against Democrat Pam Jochum. Republican activist John Hulshizer Jr. lost to Jochum in a 2008 landslide. The other guy, William Johnson, I'm calling a Some Dude till he's got a name that's easier to productively Google. Almost as bad as Mark Smith.

UPDATE: A Dubuque reader informs me that this is the same Will Johnson who ran a tea party type campaign in the 1st CD primary in 2010.

Anti-abortion extremist, perennial candidate and self-proclaimed "Secretary General of the Army of God" Dave Leach made his way onto the ballot again. This is at least his seventh campaign; the most recent run was against Matt McCoy in 2010. This year he's challenging Democrat Bruce Hunter in House District 34. Republicans who don't think murdering doctors is morally justified can vote for Patti Branco in the primary instead.

Sorry, I lost my objectivity for a moment there. In filings already expected:

Republican Matt Reisetter of Cedar Falls is a top tier challenger to Democratic incumbent Jeff Danielson in Senate District 30.

Carroll County Supervisor Mark Segebart filed in Senate District 6. He has a primary with Sac County deputy sheriff Matthew Biede; the winner faces Democrat Mary Bruner in the open Steve Kettering seat.

Iowa Senate Republican leaders fall all sorts of ways; how about taking one out in a general election? Boone Democrat Shelly Stotts filed in Senate District 24 to challenge Senate GOP leader Jerry Behn.

Donna Amandus of Ft, Madison joins two other candidates on the Senate District 42 ballot. The Republicans have a primary too; winner replaces retiring Democrat Gene Fraise.

In Sioux City, Republican Greg Grupp filed in no-incumbent House District 14, which is Republican Jeremy Taylor's district without his house. Taylor stayed put in House 13 and will battle Democrat Chris Hall in the only two-incumbent general election House race; Grupp will face Taylor's 2010 opponent Dave Dawson in a D-leaning seat.

Megan Suhr, a Knoxville Democrat, filed in open House District 28 where Republican Rich Arnold is retiring. She faces the winner of a a Republican primary between Greg Heartsill and Len Gosselink.

Clive Democrat Susan Judkins is challenging Republican Chris Hagenow in House District 43.

And finally, Grimes Democrat Kelsey Clark filed in House District 39, held by Republican Erik Helland. You may have heard Helland has a primary challenger.

Stay tuned tomorrow night for the final update and the launch of the District Of The Day reboot...