Friday, March 16, 2012

District Of The Day Reboot: Iowa Senate District 30, Iowa House District 59 & 60

Senate District 30
Registration: D 12420, R 13318, N 16218, total 42026, R +898
Incumbent: Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls

Senate Republicans have snagged a big name for one of their top targeted seats, as GOP rising star Matt Reisetter has announced against Democrat Jeff Danielson.

After narrowly losing a 2002 House race, firefighter Jeff Danielson gained this seat comfortably when Republican Don Redfern retired in 2004. It was much more dramatic four years later. Danielson held on by a recount-close 22 vote margin over Walt Rogers.

Reisetter, who's been working for BVP over at the famIly leader, fell just 98 votes short of knocking off House Democrat Bob Kressig in the bad GOP cycle of 2006.

While he may get a tough 2012 race, at least Danielson will know the turf. His entire old district is contained within the new one. He has the whole city of Cedar Falls, which makes up about two thirds of the seat. He drops two townships north of Cedar Falls and the line shifts just a little in Waterloo. Danielson's kept a high profile and plays up his firefighter day job and his efforts for UNI.

Matt Reisetter for Iowa had just organized as a committee at the January 19 finance report deadline. Danielson for Senate has anticipated a tough race and has $70,402 cash on hand.

House District 59
Registration: D 6133, R 5765, N 7920, total 19870, D +368
Incumbent: Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls; contested Republican primary

Kressig, 57, took this seat from one term Republican Ervin Dennis in 2004 by less than 200 votes. He held on for a 106 vote 2006 win over Reisetter, won comfortably for the first time in 2008, and scored a 52% to 48% over bar owner Darin Beck in 2010.

Two Republicans are running this year: veterinarian and school board member James Kenyon, and Howard Lyon Jr.

The line through Cedar Falls stays identical. Kressig has the northern two-thirds or so of the city geographically and 3/4 of the city's population, including the campus. He gives up two townships west of town as the district pulls all the way into the city limits. That gives him a couple hundred more Democrats, which given Kressig's past margins is a big deal.

Campaign finance reports: Kressig for Iowa House District 19 (sic)

House District 60
Registration: D 6287, R 7553, N 8298, total 22156, R +1266
Incumbent: Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls

After Rogers missed it by THAT much against Danielson in 2008, he set his sights on the House and Six Pack conservaDem Doris Kelley. She had picked up this seat in the 2006 Democratic wave and beat a late starter easily in 2008. No recount this time for Rogers, as he beat Kelley by almost 1000 votes.

Little changes in The Map for Rogers. He keeps the same piece of south Cedar Falls, the city of Hudson, and a similar chunk of southwest Waterloo. (One precinct, it looks like, goes to Deborah Berry.) He adds the two townships that Kressig sheds, as the district's Republican Registration edge improves by about 400 voters. In practice this has been a swing seat.

Bob Greenwood of the Waterloo city council is hoping to make Rogers a one term wonder. Greenwood knocked off an incumbent once before, in 2001 to win his council seat. On the January 19 campaign finance report, Friends for Bob Greenwood had just opened and didn't report any fundraising. Walt Rogers for Iowa reported $10,139 in the bank.

Original post 6/03/2011 Statewide Map: Front | Back (with City Insets) | Old Senate, House

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