District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 44, Iowa House District 87 & 88

Senate District 44
Registration: D 14738, R 10220, N 12526, total 37501, D +4518
Incumbent: Tom Courtney, D-Burlington

Courtney slid comfortably into an open seat here in 2002 seat without GOP opposition (he beat an independent Some Dude). The Republicans finally tried in `08; David Kerr only scored 40% but carried Louisa.

This cycle, Republican Bradley Bourn is running. He's emphasizing his military background with a giant monster truck-caper parade vehicle pained in green camouflage; looks like the Urban Assault Vehicle from Stripes.

The revised district keeps Des Moines and Louisa counties intact. Courtney also keeps a chunk of western Muscatine County, which grows. Despite that the party margin is almost identical.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Courtney for State Senate Committee, Bourn for Senate Courtney has $9,631.33 in the bank to Bourne's $1,733.72.

House District 87
Registration: D 8825, R 4089, N 5918, total 18846, D +4736
Incumbent: Dennis Cohoon, D-Burlington

Another District Draws Itself seat; Burlington's population is 84% of ideal House district size. West Burlington historically was carved off, but now they're together and are 94% of a district. Lose three townships to the north, add one on the south, and that's Dennis Cohoon's district. He's been in the House since a 1987 special, making him the senior House member.

Minister Dave Selmon actually held Cohoon to 59% in the toxic climate of 2010; that's probably a high water mark for the Republicans.

This year Cohoon has two opponents. Dan Cahill, a sitting Des Moines County supervisor, filed as an independent in House District 87. Cahill was elected to the Board as a Democrat in 2008, pledging to serve only one term, and did not seek re-nomination in the June primary. Self-described "Libertarian Republican" Andrew Wilson has the GOP ballot line.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Cohoon for Representative Wilson and Cahill did not raise enough money to report.

House District 88
Registration: D 5913, R 6131, N 6608, total 18655, R +218
Incumbent: Tom Sands, R-Wapello

This is the descendant of the district I ran in two maps ago. In 2002 the configuration changed from Louisa-rural Muscatine-rural Johnson to Louisa-rural Muscatine-rural Des Moines. That's when Tom Sands, then of Columbus Junction (he's now moved downstream to Wapello) took over from Barry Brauns. The toughest challenge was in 2008, when former Columbus City mayor Frank Best held him to just 53%. Despite that, the Ways and Means chair got a bye in 2010.

The chunk of rural Muscatine expands to restore most of the northern tier of Muscatine County: West Liberty, Atalissa, Moscow. But that area has changed a lot, becoming more Hispanic and Democratic. This census both West Liberty and Conesville reported Hispanic majorities in the census, with Columbus Junction just short at 48%.

That opens up a big opportunity for Democrat Sara Sedlacek of West Liberty, a small business owner and grant writer. This is a must-win for both teams, as the number 47 Democratic seat.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Committee to Elect Sara Sedlacek, Sands for State House Who would have pegged this poor, rural turf for a high-dollar race? Sands has a leadership level $70,680.04 on hand. Yet Sedlacek has proven to be an outstanding fundraiser, with $27,304.54.

Senate District 44, House District 87 & 88: District of the Day 1 - 6/23/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/17/2012

SOCIДLIST ШOЯКЗЯS PДЯTУ FILЭS

DA, IS PЯAVDA. GLOЯIФЦS SOCIДLIST ШOЯКЗЯS PДЯTУ PЯЭSIDЗИTIДL TICКЭT OЙ IOЩA ЬALLOT.

Just kidding with the font. The SWP is nyet the Яooskie kind of commies. According to the ever comprehensive and objective Ron Gunzburger of Politics1:

Since the 1980s, the SWP has drifted away from Trotskyism and moved towards the brand of authoritarian politics espoused by Cuban leader Fidel Castro's style of Marxism (the SWP sites calls Castro's Cuba "a shining example for all workers").

This is the fifth consecutive election that James Harris had been on the presidential ballot for the SWP in Iowa. He wasn't the official nominee in 2008, but the official candidate was not a native-born citizen so Harris was substituted in some states. I still want to see his long form birth certificate just in case.

The SWP also placed David Яosenfeld of Des Moines on the ballot today in the 3rd CD, where he's well positioned to claim the entire anti-incumbent vote against Leonard Boswell and Tom Latham.

SWP has long been very successful in qualifying for the ballot; given a choice most people would rather sign a petition than buy one of their "The Militant" papers. But as for actual results, Harris won just 292 votes statewide in 2008, good enough for seventh place of the nine candidates on the Iowa ballot (and probably below the scattered write ins for Ron Paul and Hillary Clinton).

Probably of more significance is the one legislative filing of the day. Dan Cahill, a sitting Des Moines County supervisor, filed as an independent in House District 87. Democrat Dennis Cohoon has held the seat since an `87 special and is running again; self-described "Libertarian Republican" Andrew Wilson has the GOP ballot line. Cahill was elected to the Board as a Democrat in 2008, pledging to serve only one term, and did not seek re-nomination in the June primary. Splitters!