District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 50, Iowa House District 99 & 100

Senate District 50
Registration: D 16780, R 8581, N 13191, total 38592, D +8199
Incumbent: Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque

At last but not least, we reach Dubuque. The city of Dubuque is 95% of ideal district size, so the district draws itself.

Jochum moved over easily when the seat opened up in 2008, after 16 years in the House. Will Johnson, who ran a Paulish, tea partyish campaign in the 1st CD primary in 2010, beat Jochum's 2008 opponent, John Hulsizer, 56-44% in a primary for the right to lose in the state's fourth most Democratic district.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: People for Pam Jochum, Will Johnson for Senate Jochum has $10,797.57 on hand, half of it raised recently. Johnson has just $568.66.


House District 99
Registration: D 8621, R 4948, N 6929, total 20514, D +3673
Incumbent: Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque; rematch of 2010 race

Then-Speaker Pat Murphy had a close call in 2010. He'd won with a typical 69% in 2008, but Republican insurance agent Paul Kern held Murphy to 52-48. It was Murphy's closest race since squeaking in by 91 votes in a 1989 special. Murphy took himself out as Democratic leader soon after the statewide results took him out as speaker.

Kern is running again this year. 2010 may have been a wake-up call, but things should be better for Murphy now. Out of leadership, he's not a target anymore.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Paul Kern for State Representative, Murphy for State Representative Murphy's bank account is down from his leadership days but he still has $24,874.18 on hand, good for a rank and file incumbent. Kern has a surprising $13,293.66 including almost $9000 raised recently. $5000 of that was one donation from Dubuque businessman Mark Falb.

House District 100
Registration: D 8159, R 3633, N 6262, total 18078, D +4526
Incumbent: Chuck Isenhart, D-Dubuque, unopposed.

The north Dubuque seat is the more Democratic of the two, number seven in the state. Isenhart won a three way primary with a clear majority in 2008 when Jochum moved over to the Senate. He had a second primary from a Some Dude in 2010, winning with 86% Both of his general election wins were in the 60something range. This year, it's in the 100 percent range, with no primary or general opposition.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Isenhart Campaign for the Common Good

Senate District 50, House District 99 & 100: District of the Day 1 - 7/01/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/17/2012