Ed Tibbetts sums up the QC area results and notes that in the two incumbent Senate 46 GOP primary, Shawn Hamerlinck's Scott County margin was about 500 votes more than Jim Hahn's lead in Muscatine. Todd Dorman looks at the big picture, and The Iowa Republican has a winners and losers list (I'm a sucker for that format)
Maison Bleam carried two counties in his unsuccessful GOP challenge to freshman Tom Shaw in House 10.
Douglas Burns notes that Carroll County supervisor overwhelmingly lost his home county to Carroll Mayor Adam Schweers in the Senate 6 GOP primary, but carried the rest of teh counties for the win. The Council Bluffs Nonpariel (my favorite Iowa newspaper name) also looks at that race along with House 22, where Republican Greg Forristall held off a challenge from Clint Fichter.
Two righty losers talking about future bids already: Jeff Mullen in Senate 22 and Matthew Ung in House 6.
Tea partyish Jane Jech swept the district in her upset (maybe?) win over Larry McKibben in Senate 36.
In Senate 42, the one Democrat NOT from Lee County, carried the bump on the bottom of the state and his own Henry County for a solid win in a three way race.
Quotes from both Dems in Clinton-based Senate 49, where Rita Hart beat Dorothy O'Brien in a close contest.
A friends and neighbors type split in House District 2: "The Iowa House District 2 Republican Primary came down to Clay County voters for candidates Megan Hess and Josh Davenport Tuesday evening. Hess earned 743 of her 1,139 votes in her home county to secure nearly 54 percent of the vote, while 515 of Davenport's 979 votes came from Clay County voters."
A twist in House 16 in Council Bluffs: "In (the Democrat's) one primary race, Heidi Guggisberg-Coners defeated Ron Pierce for the new House District 16. Ironically, though, she dropped out shortly before the election offering her support to Pierce. Guggisberg-Coners received 168 votes to Pierce’s 159 votes." Presumably Dems will have a party convention to formally choose an opponent for GOP freshman Mary Ann Hanusa.
Friends and neighbors again in House 24:
Facing down the political machine of one’s own party usually isn’t the way to start one’s political career, and it rarely goes well for the newcomer. But Clarinda native Jane C. Jensen found herself leading the race in House District 24 with results reported from three of the four counties represented.
But, Rep. Cecil Dolecheck of Mount Ayr, endorsed by Iowa GOP heavy hitters and the benefactor of mailers from the Republican Party of Iowa late in the race, won overwhelming support in his home county — Ringgold County — and pulled away with a 59- to 41-percent victory.Patch has a non-paywalled look at the lone incumbent loss, where Jake Highfill knocked off Erik Helland in House 39.
Nathan Wrage credits shoe leather for his upset win over Christina Blackcloud-Garcia in the House 72 Democratic race.
Via Facebook, David Johnson rebuts my take on his House 73 loss:
Mr. Schwab was a very strong primary candidate and did a fantastic job of getting out the JC vote, but I think in November, those that put him up to this race will understand why I was warning them. Cedar County is a different animal than Johnson County altogether. 60% of the district is Cedar County, and it's critical that Mr. Schwab receives at least 46% of it in the general election. My fear is that he can't do it. I think his poor returns in Cedar and in Muscatine does not bode well. Remember, he's not just going to be fighting for Democratic votes in the general election, he needs to get the Cedar County Independents and they like the Kaufmann name. Having the extra Dems in Johnson County is helpful, but still not enough if he can't get 46% of Cedar.Schwab, for his part, stopped by the Cedar County Dems meeting Wendesday, where he says he got a good reception, and the Johnson County Dems meeting last night. Also on hand, some uncontested winners (Rep. Mary Mascher, Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, and supervisors Harney Neuzil and Sullivan) and holdover Senators Bob Dvorsky and Joe Bolkcom. But the big news came from former county chair Brian Flaherty, newly minted J.D., who's taking a job with the US Attorney's office in - dig this - the Northern Mariana Islands. Good luck buddy and don't forget that absentee ballot.
As campaign manager for Dick Schwab, I thank David Johnson for throwing his hat in the ring for House District 73.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with him more that for Democrats to win the HD 73 seat, we need to do well in Cedar County. We will.
At the same time, winning a primary is different from winning a general election, with the primary being inside baseball with party activists for the most part. We demonstrated we knew how to win in that environment.
Based on our election day polling of Republicans and Democrats throughout the district, we believe the general election will be hard won, but that Democrats will win.
To a person, voters I talked to in person in the 19 precincts I visited on election day were disappointed in voter turnout. The truth of the matter is that because of the contested Democratic primary in Cedar County, voter turnout increased over the 2010 primary from 438 to 568 (unofficial) or 30%, even if it declined in Johnson and Muscatine Counties. This bodes well for the Democratic base in Cedar, which we will also need to win in November.
Message heard David Johnson. We are ready to take our positive Democratic message to all of the people of House District 73, which is what we need to do to win in November.
There is a reason no preference voters register the way they do, and don't want to participate in partisan primaries. That plays directly into Dick Schwab's sweet spot.