Filing Day 8

Two local filings today for Johnson County, one at the state house and one at the courthouse.

Democrat Sally Stutsman filed for a second term in Iowa House 77, covering North Liberty, Tiffin, and most of the western part of the county. Her resignation from the Johnson County Board of Supervisors set up a special election a year ago today. In low turnout and unusual circumstances, Republican John Etheredge won that seat and broke a half-century Democratic monopoly on the board.

Lisa Green-Douglass of North Liberty is one of the Democrats looking to win that seat back; she filed today. Mike Carberry is also announced for the Democrats and Janelle Rettig is running for re-election. The top two go on to November.

Across the state, the biggest name to file today was Mark Smith of Marshalltown, making his first run since taking over the House Democratic leadership after Kevin McCarthy's resignation last fall. Of course, Mark's real job is to elect 50 colleagues so he can move from minority leader to Speaker.

Mt. Pleasant auto dealer Ralph Holmstrom has filed on the Republican side in House 84. A primary, or a sign that long-time Rep. Dave Heaton is hanging it up?

Republican Kevin Klaassen of Sibley filed in open House 1, where Jeff Smith (also R) is stepping down. Could be a 3 way primary: John Wills has already filed and 2012 primary challenger Kevin Wolfswinkel is also mentioned.

Democrat Nancy Dunkel filed for a second term in House 57. She took over the rural Dubuque seat, technically held by Republican Steve Lukan but heavily redistricted, in 2012 without a primary OR general election opponent. This time Republican Ryan Kilburg will give it a shot.

Rick Giarusso, a Cedar Falls Republican, is running in House 59. He'll challenge perennial target Bob Kressig.

It's officially a Democratic primary in House 65. Cedar Rapids school board member Gary Anhalt makes it official. He'll oppose Liz Bennett in the race for the Tyler Olson seat.

Republican Jake Highfill of Johnston was the only one of a dozen or so Republican primary challengers to knock off an incumbent in 2012, beating Erik Helland.

More incumbents making it official:

• Dallas County Republican Ralph Watts in House 19
• Republican Jack Drake of Griswold in House 21
• Keota Republican Jarad Klein in House 78
• Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa, in House 81

And the weird filing of the day is in Senate 35, held by the senior legislator, Democrat Wally Horn, who shows no signs of stepping down. That hasn't deterred Lance Lefebure from filing in the Democratic primary. Here's the twist: Lefebure was a late starting 2012 House candidate in half of this district - as a REPUBLICAN challenging Todd Taylor.