District Of The Day 3: Iowa Senate District 45, Iowa House District 89 & 90

Senate District 45
Registration: D 13869, R 7189, N 14883, total 35959, D +6680
Incumbent: Joe Seng, D-Davenport; holdover seat

After his bizarre congressional primary challenge to Dave Loebsack, which he lost 80-20%, Senator Doctor Seng settles back in to hold over till 2014. In a district this blue, about 700 Democrats stronger than his old turf, an anti-choice, pro-corporate ag "Democrat" could be vulnerable to a primary challenge of his own. I'm just sayin'.

House District 89
Registration: D 6775, R 4497, N 8100, total 19382, D +2278
Incumbent: Jim Lykam, D-Davenport

Lykam won one term in 1988, got knocked off by Steve Grubbs in `90, then came back on friendlier turf in 2002, friendly enough that he drew a bye in 2010. That turf, new in west central Davenport, stays just about as friendly this decade. He loses a couple precincts in the north, where the district used to go to the Davenport-Eldridge line, and shifts west to the Davenport city limits.

Davenport alderman Bill Edmond is running on the GOP side.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Friends of Jim Lykam, EDMOND FOR IOWA While Edmond seems like a credible contender, his $1,793.62 cash on hand makes it look like this race isn't a Republican priority. Lykam has a solid incumbent bank account at $22,209.75.

House District 90
Registration: D 7094, R 2692, N 6783, total 16577, D +4402
Incumbent: Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport

Winckler knocked off one-term Republican John Sunderbruch in 2000 and has been mostly solid since. Republicans made a serious effort last cycle with city council member Ray Ambrose. Ambrose held Winckler to a relatively close 55%, with dismal turnout. That may be the max for the GOP on this turf, as Winckler's margins are usually closer to 70-30.

The district shifts south and west, and expands outside the city limit to include the city of Buffalo. The changes make the seat even more Democratic.

The anti-Winckler vote gets split in two. Republicans called a late convention and nominated Some Dude Ryan Roberson. Independent candidate Mark Riley won 38% in 2010 as the Republican nominee against Senator Doctor Seng.

July 19 Campaign Finance Report: Winckler for State House Roberson and Riley did not raise enough to report.

Senate District 45, House District 89 & 90: District of the Day 1 - 6/24/2011 | District of the Day 2 - 3/17/2012

Filing Season Starts Slow

The fall filing season is off to a slow start, with just a handful of candidates turning in papers during the first four days.

Iowa's first Official presidential candidate is independent Jerry Litzel. Who? One Jerry Litzel of Ames, who appears to be this Some Dude and who seems to have recruited a family member, Jim Litzel, as a running mate. Even the incredibly comprehensive Politics1 has never heard of Litzel.

News to me: Independent Michael Garmoe apparently announced his candidacy several months ago in Senate District 42 in the bump on the lower right corner of Iowa. Garmoe joins Democrat Rich Taylor and Republican Larry Kruse on the ballot in the open seat long held by retiring Democrat Gene Fraise.

Mark Riley of Davenport won 38% in 2010 as the Republican nominee against Senator Doctor Joe Seng. This cycle Riley's goin' rogue as an independent against Democratic Rep. Cindy Winckler in House District 90. Republicans have scheduled a convention for August 9 in this heavily Democratic district.

In addition to the independents, some of the candidates nominated at party conventions have turned their paperwork in to Matt Schultz: Tim Tripp (D, Senate 40), Dan LeRette (R, House 33), Landslide John Landon (R, This Is Where Your District Went) and Ted Whisler (D, House 97).

Watch for these posts late afternoons and get ready for District Of The Day III, coming to theaters on filing deadline August 17. I may do this one in 3D.