District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 37, Iowa House District 73 & 74

Senate District 37
Registration: D 14414, R 9882, N 12548, total 36903, D +4532
Incumbent: Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville; holdover seat

Dvorsky's new seat goes east, picking up all of Cedar County and the city of Wilton in Muscatine County, all of which had been in Muscatine Republican Jim Hahn's territory. But the core has always been Coralville. Though this remains maybe a 60% Johnson County district, the addition of swingy Cedar and heavily Republican Wilton costs Dvorsky nearly 2,500 registered Democrats. But with a still solid margin he can afford it.

Republicans last bothered opposing Dvorsky in 2002; he beat a Libertarian in 2010.

House District 73
Registration: D 6317, R 5701, N 7093, total 19131, D +616
Open seat; Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton, retiring

Democrats saw an opportunity here as soon as the map came out, when Kaufmann lost northern Muscatine County and gained a much bigger chunk of Johnson, including solidly Democratic Solon.

This led to a relatively contentious primary between David Johnson, who served a term on the West Branch city council, and Dick Schwab of the Solon school board. Some of it was Johnson vs. Cedar, some of it was personalities, some of it was local zoning issues in which Schwab was involved. Or maybe it just seemed more contentious because it was in my backyard.

Johnson carried his Cedar base (and the fragment of Muscatine County), but Schwab won Johnson County by three to one. And even though the district is about 60-30 Cedar-Johnson, the Johnson County portion saw more total voters thanks to an even more contentious courthouse race. The district-wide score: Schwab 58, Johnson 42.

Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Jeff Kaufmann announced after months of rumors and just days before the filing deadline that he was stepping down and running for a job back home on the Cedar County Board of Supervisors. County party conventions were the next day and two Kaufmanns made the rounds as son Bobby Kaufmann announced his candidacy.

This seat is the #36 most Democratic seat, one of the best in Republican hands. If the Democrats have a serious shot at winning the House, they need this one.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Kaufmann for State House, Schwab for House Schwab raised $14,253 post-primary and has $9,459.33 on hand.  Kaufmann has $10,981.17 in the bank.

House District 74
Registration: D 8097, R 4181, N 5455, total 17772, D +3916
Incumbent: Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville

District Draws Itself math means Coralville stays in one piece and dominates whatever House district it's in. Jacoby loses high-growth North Liberty and Tiffin and adds one Iowa City precinct to the two he had.

Republicans last opposed Jacoby when the seat was open in a summer 2003 special, which Dave won with 71%. Last cycle, Jacoby had handled a bizarre labor-backed primary challenge (the opponent dropped out after the withdrawal deadline, then at the last minute hinted at dropping back in), winning 88% to 12%. He then beat a Libertarian 80-20 in the fall.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Jacoby for House

Senate District 37, House District 73 & 74: District of the Day 1 - 6/14/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/17/2012