District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 18, Iowa House District 35 & 36

Senate District 18
Registration: D 15469, R 7179, N 8572, total 31271, D +8290
No Incumbent

Janet Petersen may have been the happiest person in the Capitol when she saw The Map on Map Day. This seat closely overlaps the House turf she's held since 2000, and no Senators were in its lines. It's the number 3 most Democratic seat, and the best one on this year's ballot. She called dibs immediately. Worth noting: Petersen is in her early 40s, and even numbered, presidential cycle seats don't conflict with statewide runs in a gubernatorial year. Just sayin'.

Petersen has a rematch of sorts. She had a three-way House race in 2010, and the independent, tea partier Vicki Stogdill is back, only this time on the GOP line.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Petersen for State Senate, Iowans for Stogdill Petersen has $21,052.19 on hand. Stogdill has all of $70.78 in the bank, and I may have that much change in my couch. I don't owe myself $1000, either.

House District 35
Registration: D 6547, R 2019, N 3351, total 11940, D +4528
Incumbent: Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines

Abdul-Samad gets weird elections. Three consecutive contested primaries, including one from the religious right in 2010. Three consecutive big wins.

This cycle, Abdul-Samad had his first uncontested primary. Republican Terrance Williams, who I think is this clergyman, will face him in the fall. Ako's seat moves north, becoming a few hundred voters less Democratic the the turf he inherited from Ed Fallon in 2006, but staying safe.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Citizens for Ako Abdul-Samad (Williams did not form a committee)

House District 36
Registration: D 8922, R 5160, N 5221, total 19331, D +3762
Open Seat - Rep. Janet Petersen running for Senate 18.

An open, solidly Democratic seat is hard to come by in Des Moines, and a hot primary probably settled this. Marti Anderson, former director of the Crime Victim Assistance Division of the Attorney General’s Office, won a hard-fought race over Cara Kennedy-Ode 50-46%. Third candidate William Rock polled 3% but had the best committee name, Citizens For Rock, which I believe is a track on the latest Tenacious D album.

For some reason, a lot of Republicans were also interested in this very blue seat. Former Homeland Security officer Jeff Ibbotson seemed the least like a Some Dude, and won with 47%. Larry Steele, who  initially announced his candidacy in Senate District 14, but moved from Knoxville to Des Moines, was second at 29%, and Tony Seliquini got the bronze with 23.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Marti Anderson for Iowa, Committee to Elect Jeff Ibbotson Anderson has $4,456.49 left after the primary and, notably for such a hard-fought contest, no debt. Ibbotson has $525.58 cash on hand.

Senate District 18, House District 35 & 36: District of the Day 1 - 5/18/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/16/2012