The Sioux City Journal’s Bret Hayworth reports that the race to replace former House Speaker Chris Rants in HD54 is shaping up, with Republican Ron Jorgensen announcing his candidacy Wednesday.

Rants, who is giving up his seat in order to run for the Republican nomination for governor, has been in office for 18 years including three years as House Speaker and two as minority leader. Woodbury County Democratic Party Chairman Dave Somsky told Hayworth that Carlos Venable-Ridley, who was defeated by Rants in 2008 by 14 percentage points, will run again in 2010. Rants said other Republicans may enter the race as well, and Sioux City businessman Steve Carlson said he is considering jumping in.

The western Iowa district is made up of 6,084 registered Republicans, 5,845 registered Democrats and 7,103 independents. With the veteran incumbent lawmaker and prolific fundraiser out, some political observers believe the district could become a targeted race for Democrats in 2010, although it would certainly be an uphill fight from the start.