District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 27, Iowa House District 53 & 54

Senate District 27
Registration: D 11323, R 13152, N 15650, total 40147, R +1829
Incumbent: Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City; holdover seat

All quiet here: two unopposed incumbents and a holdover Senator. But it will be interesting in two years, as Ragan has the most Republican Senate seat held by a Democrat (#33 most Democratic). The old district lines gave Ragan a 2500 Democrat voter registration edge. She was re-elected two to one over a weak opponent in 2010.

Ragan keeps Mason City, but her new turf goes south and west instead of north and east. She drops Floyd and Mitchell counties and gains Franklin, the northern part of Butler, and the western, Clear Lake half of Cerro Gordo.

House District 53
Registration: D 7157, R 4654, N 8309, total 20129, D +2503
Incumbent: Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City

Few line changes here as Mason City is almost, but just under, the ideal district size so The District Draws Itself.

This was probably the most Democratic district held by Republicans for most of the 2000s. Bill Schickel moved on to higher party office in 2008 -- wonder how HE'd be doing as state chair? -- and Steckman finally took the seat back for the Dems.She's now solid enough that the GOP isn't trying.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Citizens for Sharon Steckman

House District 54
Registration: D 4166, R 8498, N 7341, total 20018, R +4332
Incumbent: Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake

Upmeyer escaped the redistricting triple-up with Stu Iverson and Henry Rayhons, got the dream house at the lake, and along with it nearly 2000 more Republicans. Upmeyer and the district move out of Hancock County to keep western Cerro Gordo, including Clear Lake, and all of Franklin County. The new turf adds northern Butler County from Pat Grassley's district.

Democrats thought they had a late starter here, but that fell through, so Upmeyer can fully concentrate on her leadership duties.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Upmeyer for House Madame Leader has a Gronstal-like $249,502.35 in the bank. Now THAT is the kind of number Senate Republicans would like to see out of Jerry Behn.

Senate District 27, House District 53 & 54: District of the Day 1 - 5/31/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/16/2012