Friday Filings

Dave Loebsack tops a short list of candidates filing with the Secretary of State on Friday.

Primary challenge alert: Former Madison County supervisor Joan Acela filed in House District 25, now held by fellow Republican Julian Garrett. The two faced off, along with a third candidate, in the 2010 primary when Jodi Tymeson retired from this seat. Watch the friends and neighbors dynamic; Acela finished third overall but won Madison County. The new seat is about half Madison and half Warren, where Garrett is from. It sheds a chunk of Dallas County, where Garrett won and Acela did poorly. The winner will face Democrat Katie Routh in a seat that leans Republican but isn't out of reach for a Democrat.

Wayne County Supervisor Amy Sinclair officially joins the Republican race for open Senate District 14, the Paul McKinley seat. She has a primary with Steven Everly of Knoxville; winner gets Democrat Dick Schrad also of Knoxville.

In a top tier Senate race, Republican Ken Rozenboom, a Mahaska County Supervisor, filed in Senate District 40. With a Republican registration edge of more than 5500 and almost all new turf, this is going to be a very tough seat for Democratic incumbent Tom Rielly to defend.

And last but not least, my own representative, Democrat Mary Mascher, filed in House 86, the second most Democratic seat in the state. (Number one is Vicki Lensing's next door.)