On the Seventh Day of Filing My True Love Gave To Me...

...a candidate from the tea party. See what I did there. Tea partyish Dennis Guth filed today in open Senate District 4. He faces a Republican primary with former senator Jim "Back In" Black. Seems like a mismatch, but Guth actually out-raised Black on the January 19 campaign finance report. A solid Democratic candidate, Bob Jennings, awaits the winner.

In another open seat race, Strawberry Point Republican Michael Brietbach filed in Senate District 28. Brietback lost a close House race last cycle. He'll likely face former state representative John Beard in the fall.

The man who beat Beard, Republican Bob Hager, saw his opponent file today: McGregor Democrat Patti Ruff in House District 56.

Home-schooler Greg Heartsill in open House District 28 where Republican Rich Arnold is retiring. Heartsill has a GOP primary with Len Gosselink; the winner sees Democrat Megan Day Suhr in this Knoxville-centric seat.

In open House District 76, Grinnell Republican Larry Wilson is first to file. The Democrats have Rachel Bly lined up in this Poweshiek-Iowa county seat.

John Dabeet is trying to take back Muscatine's House 91 back for the Democrats; he filed to challenge first term Republican Mark Lofgren.

Former Senator Frank Wood, an Eldridge Democrat, is on the comeback trail, filing in Scott County's House 92 against GOP freshman Ross Paustian.

Senator Rob Bacon, who got paired up with fellow Republican Bill Dix, looks like the only member making the redistricting year Senate to House move, filing today in open House District 48. The man Bacon defeated in 2010, Democrat Rich Olive, also announced in this seat, but dropped out. No other Democratic names have surfaced.

Of course, the big incumbent news was out of Oskaloosa, but here's some incumbents who ARE running:

Brian Schoenjahn, D-Arlington in Senate District 32

Steve Sodders, D-State Center in Senate District 36

Dan Huseman, R-Aurelia in House District 3

Jack Drake, R-Griswold in House District 21

Phyllis Thede, D-Bettendorf in House District 93

And there was one from yesterday that looked odd so I waited, followed up and confirmed. Republican Larry Steele filed in heavily Democratic House 36, the open Janet Petersen seat which has a crowded Democratic primary field.

It looked odd because Steele - NO relation to my wife - has a web site which as of last night declared his candidacy in... Senate District 14? As of today he's updated the site to reflect his move and new race. Check it out for good examples of vintage 1997 web design, and for the very definition of Some Dude.