Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Random Late Election Night Thoughts: Top of Ballot

You could just feel the ground shifting to Joni Ernst the last couple weeks. Convention? The swine snipper wins with a clear majority in a 5 way - well, four way plus Schaben - field. Epic contrast in an epic race this fall.

I'm sorry but I can't get excited about the idea of Congressman Another Old White Guy. Waiting to see how Pat Murphy reaches out to people who backed other candidates. Will he call and seek support, or like Chet Culver will he keep score on who was with him or not in the primary?

Murphy barely cleared the 35% bar despite a months-long head start and calling in all his chips from a quarter century in the legislature. 57% of 1st CD voters backed women candidates. But Monica Vernon and Swati Dandekar split a Linn county base and kept Anesa Kajtazovic from making any inroads there. Vernon seemed to be getting momentum but too little too late. Still no idea why Dave O'Brien ran.

Still proud to have backed Anesa. She's been through far worse in her life than losing an election, and at 27 years old she. will. be. back.

Steve Rathje's losing streak in GOP primaries continues, with his third or is it fourth loss. Officially graduates to Perennial Candidate.

Miller-Meeks wins with less than 50% as the weak-seeming Mark Lofgren overperforms. With two open seats and fundraising star Jim Mowrer taking on Steve King, MMM's third challenge to Dave Loebsack is likely to be the afterthought race.

3rd CD frontrunner Brad Zaun goes into a convention with a far weaker hand than Steve King held in 2002, the last such convention. Only 9 points separating 1st place Zaun from 5th place Young. Nomination goes to whoever can be everyone's second choice.

One of six GOP voters flip a middle finger at Terry Branstad with vote for Some Dude. Means pretty much nothing.

Look for more drama in Senate 17. Tony Bisignano has a 13 vote lead over Nathan Blake. Ned Chiodo played the bad guy, challenging Bisignano's right to be on the ballot, and paid for it by finishing third.

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