District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 1, Iowa House District 1 & 2

Senate District 1
Registration: D 9162, R 19442, N 13658, total 42279, R +10280
Incumbent: David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan; holdover seat

The dean of the Legislature, Emmetsburg Democrat Jack Kibbie, was paired up with Johnson on Map Day. Rather than forcing Johnson into an early race for a two year term, in a district that Kibbie himself said was "impossible for any Democrat to win," Kibbie stepped down and Johnson holds over to 2014.

District 1 is five whole counties in the state's northwest corner: Dickinson and Clay, Lyon, Palo Alto and Osceola, in order of population.

House District 1
Registration: D 3424, R 12344, N 5964, total 21741, R +8920
Incumbent: Jeff Smith, R-Okoboji, unopposed

Jeff Smith's old very Republican district becomes a very, VERY Republican district, and that was almost too much of a good thing. The relatively low-key freshman drew a primary challenge from the right by Campaign For Liberty/anti-tax advocate Kevin Wolfswinkel of Sibley (part of the new turf for Smith), but prevailed by a 54-45% margin. That settled things, as no Democrat filed.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Jeff Smith for Iowa House

House District 2
Registration: D 5738, R 7098, N 7694, total 20538, R +1360
No incumbent

This empty seat leans Republican, sure, but it's the most Democratic in all of northwest Iowa (#65 on the Donkey Depth Chart) and thus the only seat in the neighborhood that the Democrats are contesting.  They've recruited a solid candidate in Spencer city council member Steve Bomgaars.

Republicans had  a contested primary. Recent law school grad and ex-Steve King intern Megan Hess of Spencer defeated minister Josh Davenport 54-46%.

The turf is all of Clay and Palo Alto, with the southern third of Dickinson thrown in. Much of this was Smith's. Palo Alto was in Democrat John Wittneben's old district 7.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Committee to Elect Hess, Bomgaars for State Representative Hess raised $10,620 in the reporting period and had $6,124.61 on hand after a contested primary. Bomgaars had $10,143.40 in the bank.

Senate District 1, House District 1 & 2: District of the Day 1 - 4/25/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/16/2012