Thursday, January 05, 2012

Lukan Leaving Legislature

Telegraph-Herald:
State Rep. Steve Lukan, R-New Vienna, won't seek re-election to the Iowa House this fall.

“After significant thought, I have decided that it is time for me to seek new challenges,” said Lukan in a press release. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our great state. I want to thank the voters for the opportunity to serve, and I look forward to working on major issues we need to address for Iowans during the upcoming legislative session. I intend to work hard in 2012 to deliver a balanced budget, property tax reform and improvements to our education system in Iowa.”

Lukan will remain serving as a House Assistant Majority Leader. Lukan was first elected in 2002.
Not entirely a shock; speculation started right after Map Day when Lukan got dealt a bad hand. His new House District 57 lost all of GOP leaning Delaware County and pulled entirely into Democratic rural Dubuque County, all the way to the city limits. The Map Day registration margin was 2326 for the Democrats, and even though that no doubt shrunk Tuesday night it's still a Democratic leaning seat, now open, that'll be key to the battle for House control.

As for Lukan himself, he's in leadership and has a decade in office, despite being in his early 30s. Under the old lines, Lukan had a break-even district yet had established himself to the point where he went unopposed in 2010. So we may well see him back in the ball game in some role down the road.

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