Showing posts with label Iowa House District 31. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa House District 31. Show all posts

Friday, August 17, 2012

District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 16, Iowa House District 31 & 32

Senate District 16
Registration: D 14408, R 7171, N 8966, total 30586, D +7237
Incumbent: Dick Dearden, D-Des Moines

Dick Dearden moved from the House to the Senate in 1994, and keeps most of east Des Moines. The unusual feature of his race this year is opposition.

Republican Dave Edwards had his act together enough to file in time for the primary instead of scrambling at a last minute convention, but he still faces the third most Democratic Senate district on the ballot this year. He gets to be part of the Republican "running in every Senate seat" bragging point. And he's one more campaign working the percentages on tough turf and maybe helping the rest of his ticket.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Dearden for State Senate Committee, Dave Edwards for Iowa Senate The Dearden war chest is at $11,737.82, half of it raised in recent weeks. Edwards has $2,722.88 on hand.

House District 31
Registration: D 7280, R 4521, N 5014, total 16828, D +2759
Incumbent: Rick Olson, D-Des Moines, unopposed

Olson has been safe here since polling 30% in the six way primary, and winning the subsequent convention, when John Connors retired in 2004. The Democratic registration edge drops by 1400 voters, but this remains a safe district. Olson won with 63% against a late starting Republican in 2010.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Committee to Elect Rick Olson To House of Representatives

House District 32
Registration: D 7128, R 2650, N 3952, total 13758, D +4478
Incumbent: Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines

Gaines had to defer ambition for 16 years after losing the Senate primary to Dearden in 1994, but cleared the field in 2010 when Wayne Ford retired at the filing deadline. She easily beat a Republican Some Dude in November, and this year faces another one, Ron Paul supporter Joe Corbin.

Minor line changes slightly pad the safe Democratic margin in the number 8 most Democratic seat.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Ruth Ann Gaines for State Representative (Corbin did not raise enough to form a committee.)

Senate District 16, House District 31 & 32: District of the Day 1 - 5/16/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/16/2012

Friday, March 16, 2012

District Of The Day Reboot: Iowa Senate District 16, Iowa House District 31 & 32

Senate District 16
Registration: D 15572, R 7578, N 9711, total 32900, D +7994
Incumbent: Dick Dearden, D-Des Moines

The history of east Des Moines legislative districts is marked by multi-way primaries on the rare occasions that a district opens up, followed by years of quiet general elections as the legislators gain seniority and become legislative legends.

Most of east Des Moines stays in Dick Dearden's district. His toughest race was when he moved over from the House in 1994: a five-way primary which he won with 44%. (Second place went to Ruth Ann Gaines, who had to wait 16 years for another chance; keep reading.) Dearden was paired last map with Matt McCoy, who moved, but the shuffle wound up making Dearden take a two year term in 2002. No big; he was unopposed.

This year Dearden did draw an opponent, Republican Dave Edwards, who appears to be Some Dude.

Campaign finance reports: Dick Dearden for State Senate Committee

House District 31
Registration: D 7725, R 4720, N 5292, total 17749, D +3005
Incumbent: Rick Olson, D-Des Moines

John Connors represented east Des Moines from Before God - well, 1972 - until 2004 when he retired in his 80s. The seat was so solidly Democratic that it prompted a six-way primary, No one got the required 35%, but Rick Olson finished first with 30 and then got the nomination at a convention.

The Democratic registration edge drops by 1400 voters, but this remains a safe district. Olson sheds some territory south of the fairgrounds. His new turf includes Gray's Woods, Valley High Manor, and Capitol East, plus the city of Pleasant Hill. Olson won with 63% against a late starting Republican in 2010. No Republican filed for the primary this year.


Campaign finance reports: Committee to Elect Rick Olson To House of Representatives

House District 32
Registration: D 7847, R 2858, N 4419, total 15151, D +4989
Incumbent: Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines

Dearden and Gaines are the legislators who can go to work without leaving their district, as they represent the Capitol and surrounding area. This has long been an African-American held seat, with Tom Baker preceding Wayne Ford. Ford essentially won this seat for 14 years in a four-way 1996 primary. A couple days before the 2010 filing deadline, Ford announced his retirement and endorsed Gaines, who wound up with no primary opposition. She easily beat a Republican Some Dude in November, and this year faces another one, Ron Paul supporter Joe Corbin.

The district is still centered around the I-235 entrance to Des Moines along the northeast. It includes Fairmont Acres, Douglas Park, and the Grand View College area. On the west it ends at 2nd Avenue and the river. The changes slightly pad the safe Democratic margin.

Campaign finance reports: Ruth Ann Gaines for State Representative

Original post 5/16/2011 Statewide Map: Front | Back (with City Insets) | Old Senate, House

Monday, May 16, 2011

District of the Day: Senate District 16, House District 31 and 32

District of the Day: Senate District 16, House District 31 and 32



The history of east Des Moines legislative districts is marked by multi-way primaries on the rare occasions that a district opens up, followed by years of quiet general elections as the legislators gain seniority and become legislative legends.

Senate District 16

Registration: D 15590, R 7229, N 9417, total 32276, D+ 8361
Incumbent: Dick Dearden, D-Des Moines

Dick Dearden's toughest race was when he moved over from the House in 1994: a five-way primary which he won with 44%. (Second place went to Ruth Ann Gaines, who had to wait 16 years for another chance; keep reading.) Dearden was paired last map with Matt McCoy, who moved, but the shuffle wound up making Dearden take a two year term in 2002. (No big; he was unopposed).

Most of east Des Moines stays in this district. Things should be quiet here until and unless Dearden, now 72, steps down.

House District 31

Registration: D 7788, R 4489, N 5151, total 17446, D+ 3299
Incumbent: Rick Olson, D-Des Moines

John Connors represented east Des Moines from Before God - well, 1972 - until 2004 when he retired in his 80s. The seat was so solidly Democratic that it prompted a six-way primary, No one got the required 35%, but Rick Olson finished first with 30 and then got the nomination at a convention.

The Democratic registration edge drops by 1400 voters, but this remains a safe district. Olson sheds some territory south of the fairgrounds. His new turf includes Gray's Woods, Valley High Manor, and Capitol East, plus the city of Pleasant Hill. (While Republican Kim Pearson of new District 30 has a Pleasant Hill address, she's not in the city itself.) Olson won with 63% against a late starting Republican in 2010.

House District 32

Registration: D 7802, R 2740, N 4266, total 14830, D+ 5062

Incumbent: Ruth Ann Gaines, D-Des Moines

Dearden and Gaines are the legislators who can go to work without leaving their district, as they represent the Capitol and surrounding area. This has long been an African-American held seat, with Tom Baker preceding Wayne Ford. Ford essentially won this seat for 14 years in a four-way 1996 primary. Last year, Ford announced his retirement late and endorsed Gaines, who wound up with no primary opposition. She easily beat a Republican Some Dude in November.

The district is still centered around the I-235 entrance to Des Moines along the northeast. It includes Fairmont Acres, Douglas Park, and the Grand View College area. On the west it ends at 2nd Avenue and the river. The changes slightly pad the safe Democratic margin.


New Map
| New Map (Insets) | Old Map