Kirsten Running-Marquardt received congratulations from Rep. Dick Taylor after she was selected late Wednesday night by Cedar Rapids precinct representatives as the Democratic candidate in the special election for Iowa House District 33. The election was called earlier this month following Taylor's announced resignation from the post.

Although no votes were cast in the actual contest between potential candidates Running-Marquardt, 32, and Norm Sterzenbach, Sr. until nearly 11 p.m., the process for local Democrats began at 7 p.m. during a meeting of the local central committee. Members of that group, comprised of two representatives per county precinct, debated and decided to fill vacant seats both within the 11 House Districts included in District 33 and in other parts of the county. Those who wished to be elected to fill vacant seats were allowed to briefly address those in attendance, and many volunteered what their voting preference would be in the subsequent special nominating convention, which was ran by members of the Iowa House Caucus staff.

“I want to thank the Linn County Democratic Central Committee for their support and for making this a fair process,” Running-Marquardt told The Iowa Independent following the nominating convention. “I also want to express my respect for Norm Sterzenbach, Sr. I’m very excited and looking forward to the future.”

While this is the first time Running-Marquardt has personally sought public office, she is hardly a stranger to Iowa politics. The daughter of former state Rep. Rich Running, she most recently worked in U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack’s office and previously worked for Iowa for Health Care, a project of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

It is anticipated that a Republican nominee for the special election will be determined tonight when Republican representatives from the 11 Cedar Rapids precincts within House District 33 hold their own nominating convention.

The special election became necessary when Rep. Dick Taylor, a Democrat, announced his resignation earlier this month. He was given a standing by Democratic activists twice Wednesday night.

“Dick Taylor has done an excellent job of representing this district,” Pat Murphy, Speaker of the Iowa House and Dubuque Democrat, said following the convention. “We think we have a good candidate in Kirsten Running-Marquardt. In fact, we had two really good candidates tonight. So, I really feel positive about our ability to keep this seat regardless of who the Republicans get to run, if they get someone.”

The Democratic strategy, according to Murphy, is no secret and will closely follow past practices that have met with success.

“We are going to go after this like we have the other election, and we are going to do a heavy absentee ballot campaign just like we did in Fairfield and in the general elections,” Murphy said, referencing the party’s most recent success in the House District 90 special election. “We are going to keep a heavy focus talking about the issues that we think are important to Iowans, which are creating jobs, balancing the state budget, focusing on what we can do to expand health care at the state level and move forward in those areas.”

The convention, which was set by Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan following consultation with the Democratic State Central Committee, will take place 10 minutes following adjournment of the regular monthly meeting of the Linn County Democratic Central Committee, a body of precinct representatives primarily elected during the caucus process. The District, which is comprised of 11 precincts (Cedar Rapids 1 through 11), would ideally be filled by 22 representatives, or two from each precinct. According to information on the Linn County Democrats’ Web site, nine of those seats are vacant.

The current voting membership of the Linn County Democratic Central Committee will decide at their meeting if such vacant seats will be filled, and by whom, prior to the start of the nominating convention. Any new members seated to vacant slots on the committee will have full voting rights for the convention.

The executive board of the Linn County Democrats, according to a letter made public on their Web site, petitioned Kiernan and the Iowa Democratic Party to set the nominating convention prior to the regular monthly meeting. Such a move would have ensured that those voting in the nominating convention would be the individuals already elected and serving in the 11 Cedar Rapids precincts represented by House District 33.

…From our perspective, holding the Convention before the October Central Committee meeting would be a superior time line. All votes would be cast by current Central Committee members, who through their past attendance and work, have show a commitment to the Linn County Democrats. Our proposed time line would be ultimately fair to each of the candidates who will have equal opportunity to solicit the endorsement of the current Central Committee members. Moreover, Linn County would be spared the divisiveness and disruption that these events may promote…

Following a telephone meeting of the State Central Committee for guidance, Kiernan cited the need both for local parties to be as inclusive as possible and for county parties to be able to continue to govern themselves.

“As for the issue of filling vacant central committee seats, I will leave this matter to the Linn County Democratic Central Committee to decide in accordance with Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the Iowa Democratic Party and Article I of the Linn County Democratic Central Committee By-Laws. The process to fill or not to fill the seats is the sole responsibility of the Linn County Democratic Central Committee as both documents clearly outline,” wrote Kiernan in a letter to Diane Hoffman, chairwoman of the Linn County Democrats, and Pat Murphy, Speaker of the Iowa House.

Two individuals have signaled their intention to run for the nomination by the Democratic Party. Norm Sterzenbach, Sr., 63, a military veteran who has been a steady presence in county politics for years and currently serves as the county Democrats’ second vice chairman, and Kirsten Running-Marquard, 32, who works in U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack’s office and is the daughter of former state Rep. Rich Running, are both expected to be nominated as candidates. The group will also entertain nominations from the floor.

The special election for the Iowa House seat will be the second in the state this year. In the previous special election, in House District 90, Democrat Curt Hanson bested Republican Stephen Burgmeier by a handful of votes. In that race, conservative special interest groups attempted to make same-sex marriage an issue. Because of the voter demographics of House District 33, the Democratic nominee will have a strong chance of winning the seat, which means conservative interest groups may take a less active role in the campaign.

One key factor in deciding the Democratic nomination will be support from labor unions. Sterzenbach is a former business manager with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and is known for his strong ties to labor. His son is executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party. Running-Marquard also has support from other key union members.

The vacancy in the state legislature occurred earlier this month when Rep. Dick Taylor, a Democrat who has represented the area since a special election in 2000, announced his retirement. The monthly meeting and the nominating convention will be held at the Best Western Longbranch Hotel and Convention Center.

The district includes 11 precincts, primarily in southwestern Cedar Rapids.

Candidates with either the Democratic or Republican parties will be nominated by political party convention. Any person interested in running as either a Democrat or Republican should contact the local party.

Those who wish to run for the House seat, but are unaffiliated with a party, may file nomination papers in the office of the Secretary of State before 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30.

Candidates who are affiliated with a non-party political organization may appear on the ballot either by filing nomination papers with the Secretary of State, or by nomination of their organization’s convention.

Gov. Chet Culver will have five days from the date he receives Taylor’s letter to set a date for the special election, which must be within 120 days of the resignation.

Norm Sterzenbach, Sr., a military veteran who has been a steady presence in county politics for years and currently serves as the county Democrats’ second vice chairman, is expected to make a bid for the seat. Kirsten Running-Marquard, 32, who works in U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack’s office and is the daughter of former state Rep. Rich Running, has also been contacting local Democrats to drum up support.

Republicans, who nominated former GOP county chairwoman Kathy Potts to run against Taylor in 2008, have not yet indicated who among their membership has interest, but they have pledged to produce a candidate. Potts is seeking a seat on the Cedar Rapids City Council, and she will not be entering the House race.

Taylor entered the legislature following a 2000 special election to replace Kay Halloran, who is now Mayor of Cedar Rapids. The district, which typically elects Democrats, includes 11 precincts primarily on the city’s southwest side.

The special election for the Iowa House seat will be the second in the state this year. In the previous special election, in House District 90, Democrat Curt Hanson bested Republican Stephen Burgmeier by a handful of votes. In that race, conservative special interest groups attempted to make same-sex marriage an issue. In House District 33, because of its demographics, the Democratic nominee will have a strong chance of winning the seat, which means conservative interest groups may take a less active role in the campaign.

In special elections, political parties select nominees at conventions, attended by county party central committee members.

One key factor in deciding the Democratic nomination will be support from labor unions. Sterzenbach is a former business manager with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and is known for his strong ties to labor. His son is executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party. Running-Marquard also has support from other key union members.

State Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola

Sorenson, a freshman representative, defeated former Rep. Mark Davitt (D-Indianola) in an election that took many Democrats by surprise. He is a conservative Republican with ties to Campaign for Liberty, the organization that was spawned by libertarian U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-Texas) presidential campaign.

Earlier this year, Sorenson made a splash by writing an audacious open letter to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the senior-most Republican official in Iowa, criticizing several of his positions. He also used Twitter to disseminate false information about national health care reform.

At this point, Sorenson’s chances of winning in Senate District 37, which spans Warren and Madison Counties just south of Des Moines, are unclear. He currently represents Warren County in the Iowa House, and that half of the district is slightly more Democratic than the Madison County half, which has been represented by Republican Rep. Jodi Tymeson for years.

But Appel, who has represented the area in the Iowa Senate since 2006, has proven herself to be an aggressive campaigner and a very successful fundraiser. Unlike Davitt, some Democrats say, Appel will be ready for the challenge.

Even before Sorenson announced his senate candidacy, Democrats were preparing for the chance to win back his seat in the House. Veteran Democratic operative Scott Ourth is actively considering an entry into the race, and, without an incumbent, he would likely become the favorite to win.

The bill in question is House File 530, which would change the workers compensation system to permit employees injured on the job to choose the doctors who treat them. A public hearing on the measure is scheduled for Tuesday night and both supporters and opponents expect a contentious debate.

On the House Democratic Caucus’ Twitter page a comment was posted to combat one Republican criticism of the measure, that it would promote “doctor shopping,” where a worker looks for a physician who will give them a diagnosis they are looking for.  The Democrats brought up Limbaugh’s 2006 admission that he illegally received prescriptions to OxyContin and other painkillers from 1998 to 2002 from several doctors.  From the Tweet:

Doctor shopping…is this what ABI means? http://tinyurl.com/boc5dh

The ABI mentioned is the Association of Business and Industry, which has launched a series of radio ads in Iowa opposing the choice of doctor legislation.

Democrats nationally, including President Barack Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, have been calling the controversial radio star the de facto leader of the Republican Party ever since his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Convention where he reiterated his hope that the new president fails. The Democratic National Campaign Committee even launched a Web site parodying recent apologies to Limbaugh from prominent Republicans who had criticized him publicly.

It appears the strategy, which has had some success nationally, is working its way to the state level.

A public hearing on the choice of doctor bill will be held Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. the chamber of the Iowa House. Currently, 35 states have some form of employee choice of doctor, including all of Iowa’s surrounding states except Missouri.

In doing so, they have embraced the wisdom of ‘Web 2.0′ marketing: the key to driving traffic to a web site is not paid advertising, it is simply building an interactive tool that a lot of people will want to use.

When visitors go to the Democratic and Republican sites, they see a link to submit their recommendations to legislators, but they are also exposed to each party’s message.  And visitors who decide to submit recommendations are more likely to come back to the web site later to see what others have recommended and to continue to participate in the discussion because they already have a stake in it.  So it’s good all around.

Remember back during the caucuses, when then-Senator Barack Obama’s campaign staff pushed as many Iowans as they could to sign up for “My BarackObama.com” accounts?  It was the same type of strategy.  The campaign was able to accumulate vast lists of online contacts, and they kept visitors coming back by making their web site as interactive as possible.

It will probably be a while before state representatives can achieve anything close to the online success Obama enjoyed during his campaign, but this was an admirable first step.

Incoming freshman State Rep. Larry Marek, who was elected by a small margin in a fairly conservative eastern Iowa district, has been appointed Vice Chair of the Agriculture Committee.  Longtime State Rep. Dolores Mertz, who is probably the most conservative Democrat in the legislature, remains chair of the committee.  This should help ensure that Democrats stay on the good side of the Iowa Farm Bureau, and it likely means there won’t be any big moves on CAFOs.  This will anger groups on the left, but it is politically expedient.

Almost all vulnerable Democratic incumbents have been kept off the Ways and Means committee.  In a year of budget shortfalls, Ways and Means will likely have to send some tax-increasing bills to the floor.  Members of the committee who vote to send those bills to the floor will be said to have voted for tax increases an absurd number of times because negative direct mail does not typically distinguish between committee votes and floor votes.

As with Ways and Means, the Labor committee also has few vulnerable incumbents this year.  Because unions tend to give money to Labor committee members, in the past, it has been a tradeoff for state representatives who represent fiscally conservative districts but need the campaign contributions from unions to stay afloat.  A few vulnerable incumbents have ended up on the committee in past sessions.  But after a campaign that was dominated by attacks on Democrats for taking tough votes on labor issues, Democratic leaders may be content to let union resources go into their general campaign fund so that they can redistribute it as needed, rather than relying on unions to provide direct support to at-risk incumbents.

In general, most newly elected state representatives were awarded a Vice Chair position on at least one committee.  This happened two years ago, as well.  Although rewarding seniority is important, Democrats realize that the new incumbents need some influence, too, if they are going to hold on to their seats.

From the Spencer Daily Reporter:

“Duty calls” topped the statement from state Rep. Royd Chambers, who announced that he will be unable to participate in the first session of the 83rd General Assembly.

The Sheldon Republican serves in the Iowa Air National Guard and recently received notice that he will be deploying again.

“Previous deployments happened to fall outside the legislative session, but not this time,” he said, in an announcement to his constituents. “I will be leaving immediately after the first of the year and am not likely to see any of the session.”

AP reports that Chambers will be deployed to the nation of Kyrgyzstan, a very cold former Soviet Republic in a strategically important location in central Asia.

House Speaker Pro Tem Polly Butka will also remain in her position, but there are some new names among this year’s assistant majority leaders. The four state representatives awarded that title include Ako Abdul-Samad, Elesha Gayman, Mike Reasoner and John Whitaker.

In a press release, Murphy and McCarthy released the following statements:

“Our top priority will be to help Iowans recover and rebuild from the devastating storms and slowing national economy. We are creating a new House Rebuild Iowa Committee that will consider recommendations from the Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission and help Iowans recover from the natural disasters this year,” said Murphy.

“It’s a great honor to serve as House Majority Leader and I’m extremely proud that the House is more representative of our state with a record six African-Americans serving in 2009.  Democrats are committed to keeping our promises, focusing on the bread and butter issues that Iowans care about, and keeping the state’s fiscal house in order,” said McCarthy.