District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 11, Iowa House District 21 & 22

Senate District 11
Registration: D 8799, R 19119, N 12910, total 40844, R +10320
Incumbent: Hubert Houser, R-Carson; holdover seat

Houser lost 1000 Republicans with this map, yet still has the third most Republican seat in the state. In an alternate universe without Iowa Clean Redistricting, those excess Republicans could have been gerrymandered into Council Bluffs to make Mike Gronstal's life hell.

The district keeps Houser's home turf: all of Pottawattamie County outside the Council Bluffs/Carter Lake city limits. But he loses all his counties to the south - Mills, Fremont and Page - to Joni Ernst. Instead he goes east. He inherits most of Cass, including Atlantic, from Nancy Boettger, and all of tiny Adams and Union from Ernst.

Houser moved over from the House in a 2001 special. He was unopposed in 2006 and overwhelmed a Some Dude Democrat with 74% in 2010. Houser holds over till at least 2014, and can stay as long as he's willing and able.

House District 21
Registration: D 4057, R 8734, N 6918, total 19715, R +4677
Incumbent: Jack Drake, R-Griswold

Cass County has been the core of the district ever since Drake was first elected in 1992. Instead of going north into Shelby County, the new district picks up Adams and Union. The line changes make the new district a bit more Republican.

Drake was unopposed in 2006 and 2010, and won with 59% in 2008. Drake drew a Democratic challenger this time:  Retired football coach John Rose of Creston.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Jack Drake for State Representative, Committee To Elect John Rose Drake has $5,129.13 in the bank, with Rose at $2,875.59.

House District 22
Registration: D 4742, R 10385, N 5992, total 21129, R +5643
Incumbent: Greg Forristall, R-Macedonia, unopposed

Forristall won an easy primary and a 61% general to win an open seat in 2006, and was unopposed in 2008 and 2010. During the 2011 legislative session he had a high-profile OWI on the way home from Des Moines, and that may have helped draw a primary challenger.  The opponent, Avoca city manager Clint Fitcher, seemed a lot less Some Dude than some of the other primary challengers. But Forristall won handily, 61-39%. Having passed that test, Forristall's safe again.

The revised lines pull the district all the way into Pottawattamie. The changes cost Forristall about 1100 Republicans, but leave it a solid Republican seat.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Committee to Elect Greg Forristall

Senate District 11, House District 21 & 22: District of the Day 1 - 5/09/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/16/2012