Filing Season Resumes: Convention Summary

Three weeks to go before the final filing deadline for the Democrats and Republicans to fill those empty slots on the state-level ballot. They've had a few conventions. Let's get up to date on developments since the June 3 primary.

We all know the big ones, of course: David Young emerging from the indecisive Republican primary and 3rd District Convention, Adam Gregg nominated at the GOP state convention to challenge Attorney General Tom Miller, and Sam Clovis taking the state treasurer nomination as consolation prize for a second place finish in the Senate primary. So the Republicans now have a full slate for the statewide offices.

Late starting state legislative candidates nominated at party conventions are often Some Dudes, like I was. But sometimes there's a winner among the late starters, most notably Brian Moore, who lost a Democratic state senate primary in 2010, switched parties to the GOP, and beat a Democratic House incumbent that fall.

I've seen a few scattered stories about convention, but no one-stop shop, so I'm writing the story I wanted to read:

Senate 17: Republicans think they see an opportunity here after Tony Bisignano won a tough, divisive Democratic primary. The GOP nominated young veteran Jonathan Lochman last week. But the numbers in Jack Hatch's open seat almost certainly mean that this was decided in June.

Senate 33: Republican Harry Foster nominated to challenge Democratic incumbent Rob Hogg in a solid Democratic Cedar Rapids seat

House 38: Democrat Christine Sherrod will challenge GOP incumbent Kevin Koester in the more swingy of the two Ankeny districts.

House 39: Democrats nominated former city council member Tom Leffler to challenge GOP freshman Jake Highfill. Highfill has some negatives, but he weathered those in the 2012 general and in a three way primary this year.

House 40: Republican Ronda Bern was nominated post-primary to challenge Democratic freshman John Forbes in an Urbandale seat that looks Republican on paper. Of all the convention nominees to date, this one looks the most significant.

House 78: Democrat John Greener was nominated to challenge Republican Jarad Klein in the Washington-Keokuk county district. This is the more Republican half of the ground zero open Senate 39 seat.