District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 19, This Is Where Your District Went and Iowa House 38

Senate District 19
Registration: D 11533, R 15078, N 11859, total 38518, R +3545
Incumbent: Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny; holdover seat

Ankeny doesn't have primaries, it has conventions. The first one was in January 2011, when just re-elected Senator Larry Noble resigned to join the Branstad 5.0 Administration.  After six candidates and five ballot, the winner was ex-Cyclone footballer and Drake law student Jack Whitver, who had lost a 2006 House race on about as different a turf as you can imagine, inner city Des Moines, to Ako Abdul-Samad.

After the convention, the special election itself was just a formality (63%-37%) And the only new territory he needs to learn before 2014 is whatever new subdivision gets built. Senate 19 sheds almost a whole House district worth of population to the west, as Ankeny is 3/4 of a Senate district in population.

This Is Where Your District Went
Registration: D 5380, R 8611, N 6151, total 20168, R +3231
No incumbent, no Democratic candidate

Is there anyone who reads this blog who does not know that This Is Where Your District Went means House 37? I even count that way now: 34, 35, 36, This Is Where Your District Went, 38, 39... For those who don't get it, read the original post.

Ankeny has grown enough in the past decade that, for the first time, it gets split into two House districts. Old House District 70 was, basically, the city of Ankeny, which with its 2000 population of 27,000 was about 90% of a House seat. By 2010 Ankeny had grown to more than 45,000 and now dominates two House seats.

The empty northern seat is the more Republican of the two and attracted six GOP primary candidates, the biggest field in the state. Everyone was betting on this going to a special convention with no one breaking 35%. Everyone except Jim Robidoux , who set out to win it all on Primary Day and almost did it, falling just 20 votes short. He tried to make the People's Choice argument at the convention, but got just one of the 23 central committee votes and was eliminated on the first ballot.

Two other candidates focused on getting their people onto the central committee. Ron Paulite Matt DeVries finished second in the voting, close behind Robidoux, and was expected to win the convention But instead, the nod went to third place candidate John Landon, who won just 15% on Primary Day yet won the nomination by one vote at the convention.

TheIowaRepublican's Craig Robinson decried the process:

It’s surprising to me how easily the convention delegates disregarded the primary vote.  I understand that this is the process when no candidate receives 35 percent of the vote, but completely ignoring the will of the people could have future consequences that are not good for Landon or the Republican Party.

Ironically, Robinson lives in the Ankeny-based district -- and voted for Landon in the primary.

With sore feelings like that, I thought one of the "losers" might go independent, but the only one who filed, one N. John Boehm (Some Dude-Ankeny), was not among the also-rans. Democrat Neal Tracy filed in March, but took his name off the ballot.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Friends for Landon

House District 38
Registration: D 6153, R 6467, N 5708, total 18350, R +314
Incumbent: Kevin Koester, R-Ankeny

This is the tipping point of the House: the 51st most Democratic seat.

Koester is in an odd position. Just two years ago he sailed into his second term unopposed. Then he tried for the move up at the Senate convention, but not only lost -- he was the second of six candidates eliminated, denied without even the bronze to show for it.

So it seemed he might be vulnerable to one of the many primary challenges that were in the water this June... but the only opposition came from perennial candidate Brett Nelson. Koester easily dispatched him, as he had in 2008. Some states have what they call "sore loser" laws which prevent defeated primary candidates from running in the general election. Iowa, however, does not, so Nelson is back as an independent and presumably declaring his 85-15% primary loss only a flesh wound.

The more serious threat comes from the Democrat, former Des Moines School Board member John Phoenix. This the more Democratic Ankeny seat, going south to the Des Moines city limits.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Kevin Koester for House, John Phoenix for House, Koester isn't taking it for granted, with $16,777.55 on hand. Phoenix has $4,925.46, with $500 in recent labor money. Nelson did not have a committee for either the primary or independent runs.

Senate District 19, This Is Where Your District Went and House District 38: District of the Day 1 - 5/19/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/16/2012

District Of The Day Reboot: Iowa Senate District 19, Iowa House District 37 & 38

Senate District 19
Registration: D 12381, R 15649, N 12492, total 40576, R +3268
Incumbent: Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny; holdover seat

Ankeny has grown enough in the past decade that, for the first time, it gets split into two House districts. Old House District 70 was, basically, the city of Ankeny, which with its 2000 population of 27,000 was about 90% of a House seat. By 2010 Ankeny had grown to more than 45,000 and now dominates two House seats and is 3/4 of a Senate seat. Senate 19 sheds almost a whole House district worth of population to the west, including Polk City, Grimes and Johnston (which doubled over the decade).

This had been Jeff Lamberti's home base until he left to challenge Leonard Boswell in 2006. Democrats recruited a perfect candidate, Ankeny mayor Merle Johnson, but he came up just short against Larry Noble. Noble won an uncontested race in 2010, then immediately stepped down to become Public Safety commissioner in the Branstad Administration.

In the January 2011 hurry-up special, Republicans had a hard-fought convention, with six candidates and five ballots. Winner Whitver is an ex-Cyclone footballer and a Drake law student, who had lost a 2006 House race on about as different a turf as you can imagine, inner city Des Moines, to Ako Abdul-Samad. Whitver easily won the special 63%-37%. In his early 30s, he's definitely on the GOP rising star list, and he has a couple more years to work the shrunken district before he's up in `14.

Campaign finance reports: Friends of Whitver

House District 37, better know as This Is Where Your District Went
Registration: D 5756, R 8836, N 6501, total 21123, R +3080
No incumbent; contested Republican primary

I dubbed this one "This Is Where Your District Went" in honor of all the rural House Republicans who got paired up. Ankeny has grown enough in the past decade that, for the first time, it gets split into two House districts. Old House District 70 was, basically, the city of Ankeny, which with its 2000 population of 27,000 was about 90% of a House seat. By 2010 Ankeny had grown to more than 45,000 and now dominates two House seats.

The empty northern seat is the more Republican of the two and has attracted six GOP primary candidates, the biggest field in the state:

• Tea Partier Stacy Rogers was first to announce. Rogers for Iowa had $1395 in the bank at the January 19 finance report.
• Ron Paul backer Matt DeVries took his first shot at the legislature last year at the convention for the Senate 35 special. DeVries for Iowa led fundraising with $3424 cash on hand.
• Jim Robidoux is a middle school Spanish teacher. Robidoux for Iowa House had just opened its bank account with $200.
• Attorney Jeff Wright was first to file. Jeff Wright for Iowa had $427 on hand.
• Jacob Mason, another attorney, filed on the last day.
• First time candidate John Landon. Landon had spent a bit more than the others, just a bit; Friends for Landon had $1745 in the bank on January 19.

This seat is more likely than any other in the state to see no candidate get to 35% and go to a convention. Ankeny voted similarly to Iowa as a whole on caucus night, but of course what matters is who stuck around late on caucus night to fill those central committee seats. My bet is a convention scenario would help DeVries.

Whichever Republican emerges from this mess will face Democrat Neal Tracy of Ankeny.

Outside of Ankeny, new District 37 goes north to pick up Alleman and east to the Bondurant city line.

House District 38
Registration: D 6625, R 6813, N 5991, total 19453, R +188
Incumbent: Kevin Koester, R-Ankeny; Primary challenge

The comforts of home seem to have outweighed the prospects of redder turf for Koester. New 38 goes south to the Des Moines city limits, and includes Saylorville.

Koester easily beat a primary opponent in 2008 when Republican Carmine Boal retired. He drew a competitive (54%-46%) challenge from Democrat Matt Pfaltzgraf.

Koester drew a bye in 2010, then tried for a move-up in January 2011 when the Senate seat opened up. But in a rare rebuke to a just re-elected legislator, he was the second of six candidates eliminated at the nominating convention.

So there may be primary vulnerability. Challenger Brett H. Nelson of Saylor Township ran for this seat in 2002, finishing fourth in a four way primary.

Former Des Moines School Board member John Phoenix is in for the Democrats. With a very close party balance and a solid candidate, look for this one on the target list.

Campaign finance reports: Kevin Koester for House

Original post 5/19/2011 Statewide Map: Front | Back (with City Insets) | Old Senate, House

Filing Day 12

Just three days to go after today, and the candidate list is starting to fill up. Still a few gaps: we havent's seen Bruce Braley or Steve King yet.

Close to home, West Liberty Democrat Sara Sedlacek makes it official in House District 88 against Republican Tom Sands of Wapello. Democrats made a serious effort in this swing seat in 2008 but left Sands unopposed in 2010. (Democrats also made a less serious effort here in 1996.)

In the News To Me department: Another couple of Republican primary challenges. In House District 24 restaurant owner Jane Jensen of Clarinda files against incumbent Cecil Dolecheck of Mt. Ayr.

Brett H. Nelson of Saylor Township filed in House District 38, the south Ankeny seat held by Kevin Koester. Nelson ran for this seat in 2002, finishing fourth in a four way primary. Don't forget: Koester tried to step up to the Senate in the 2011 special election (won by Jack Whitver), but was one of the first candidates eliminated at the party convention. Democrat John Phoenix awaits the winner here in a swing seat.

Stephanie Jones of Knoxville is the third Republican to file in open Senate District 14, the Paul McKinley seat.

Some Dude Alert: Republican Joe Corbin, a Ron Paul backer, filed in heavily Democratic House District 32, held by first-term Dem Ruth Ann Gaines.

In expected filings:

The two two incumbent senator races are official. Senators Jim Hahn, R-Muscatine and Shawn "Go Home" Hamerlinck, R-Dixon are facing off in Senate District 46. The winner faces Muscatine Democrat Chris Brase in November. All three filed today.

The only two incumbent Senate general election will be in Senate District 26 between Democrat Mary Jo Wilhelm and Republican Merlin Bartz. Both filed today.

(Last minute surprise watch: In the one two House incumbent primary, House 50, neither Annette Sweeney or Pat Grassley has filed yet...)

Warren County Democrat Scott Ourth, an unexpected top-tier loser in 2010, is making another try in House District 26. Ourth lost to Republican Glen Massie, who hasn't filed yet. Two other Republicans, Steve McCoy and Ruth Randleman, filed yesterday.

Democrat Eric Brenneman of West Des Moines filed in Dallas-based, no-incumbent House District 44.

Waterloo Democrat Bob Greenwood is running in House District 60 against first term Cedar Falls Republican Walt Rogers.

Hillsboro Republican Lee Harder, who finished a distant third in the 2008 2nd Congressional District primary, made it official in Senate District 42. He's an underdog in a primary against Lee County Supervisor Larry Kruse in this open seat. Democrats have a three way primary to succeed the retiring Gene Fraise.

Republican David Maxwell of Gibson files in no-incumbent House District 76. He has a primary with Larry Wilson of Grinnell. The Democrats are running Rachel Bly, also of Grinnell.

Charges flying in one GOP primary:

A candidate challenging incumbent state Rep. Erik Helland for his western Polk County seat in the Iowa House has accused the lawmaker of offering him a job to stay out of the race.

Jake Highfill, a University of Iowa student who lives in Johnston, alleges Helland implored him to drop his bid for the new 39th District seat and offered in exchange to hire Highfill as a legislative clerk and to find him a job on a Republican campaign throughout the 2012 election season.

Democrat Kelsey Clark awaits the winner. As of today, Helland had not yet filed.

Routine incumbents filing today::

Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, in Senate District 20

Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, in Senate District 50

Mark Brandenburg, R-Council Bluffs, in House District 15.

Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, in House District 18.

Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls, in House District 59.

Kirsten Running-Marquardt, D-Cedar Rapids, in House District 69.

Mark Lofgren, R-Muscatine, in House District 91

And Dan Dolan filed in the 2nd Congressional District - as a Republican, which should reassure the Monroe County Democrats. For those who didn't hear, Dolan started speaking at the wrong party's covention in Albia Saturday.