Sunday, May 18, 2014

Week In Review: May 11-18

Early voting is running hot in Johnson County. As of Friday afternoon we had 1107 ballots requested (920 D 187 R) and 975 returned (837 D 138 R).  And that's even before today's debut of the Votemobile at 1st Avenue HyVee.

Democrats are running way ahead of the pace set in 2006, the record turnout primary for Dems. (The Republican and overall record is 1994, the famous "Gopher Primary" where Fred Grandy almost beat Terry Branstad.)

The in-person traffic has been overwhelmingly Democratic, but Republican mailed requests ticked up this week thanks to a mailing, reportedly from Senate candidate Mark Jacobs.

But it was Joni Ernst who got the Des Moines Register endorsement last night. Whether that helps or hurts in a Republican primary is hard to say. Lots of endorsing flying around this week. Ernst also picked up the NRA, Jacobs got Ag secretary Bill Northey, and Sam Clovis gets the not from the famIlyleader himself, Bob Vander Plaats. This leaves Matt Whitaker as the odd man out.

It was Bike To Work Week and Joe Bolkcom on the bike was a narrow winner over Jim Throgmorton on the bus. In the car, GOP supervisor John Etheredge was third - an omen for the fall when the top two get elected?

Speaking of the bus, Bruce Braley was touring and touting his work on school bus safety legislation. Which, all us 70s kids remember, was the subject of the original Bill of "I'm Just A Bill" fame. Bill's full text: "School bus must stop at railroad crossing.

Congrats to all the UI's graduates. And good luck to Dave Panther and the crew at the Hamburg Inn. Fire damage last night at the iconic diner, home to countless political events and the famous Pie Shake.

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