Who would have figured that, just before the election, GOP incumbent James Seymour’s 2002 arrest for soliciting prostitution would come to light?

Democrats can call that one a lost opportunity. But by and large, Iowa’s major parties did a better job of filling spots on the state legislative ballot than parties in other states.

Seymour is one of 21 Iowa legislative candidates, including one open-seat Senate candidate, who have no opposition at all. Another two have opponents who have dropped out but remain on the ballot, and seven have independent or third party opponents only. That translates to 17 percent of races with no on-the-ballot choice, and 24 percent with only one active major party candidate.

But that’s better than other states. Ballot Access News reports that over half of Illinois legislative races have only one candidate on the ballot, 78 percent of Georgia state house races have only one candidate on the ballot, and only 18 percent of Massachusetts state house races have a Democrat vs. Republican contest.

Presidential nominee Barack Obama and Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean have adopted a “50 state strategy” of competing everywhere, even in traditionally Republican areas. The strategy paid off with three special election wins earlier this year in open U.S. House seats, and has put some unusual states into play in the presidential race.

And long-shot candidates win sometimes; who would have thought a college professor with a beard could have toppled Jim Leach in 2006? But still, some races just fall between the cracks.

Unopposed Democrats
House District 22: Deborah Berry, D-Waterloo (won a primary challenge)
House District 24: Roger Thomas, D-Elkader
House District 25: Tom Schueller, D-Maquoketa
House District 30: Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville
House District 34: Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids
House District 38: Tyler Olson, D-Cedar Rapids (Republican opponent dropped out)
House District 42: Geri Huser, D-Altoona (won a primary challenge)
House District 48: Donovan Olson, D-Boone
House District 78: Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City
House District 88: Dennis Cohoon, D-Burlington

Unopposed Republicans
Senate District 2: Open Seat — Dave Mulder retiring, GOP nominee Randy Feenstra was also unopposed in the primary
Senate District 26: Steve Kettering, R-Lake View
Senate District 28: James Seymour, R-Woodbine
Senate District 30: Pat Ward, R-West Des Moines
Senate District 32: Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale
House District 5: Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon
House District 6: Mike May, R-Spirit Lake
House District 51: Rod Roberts, R-Carroll
House District 82: Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf
House District 97: Rich Anderson, R-Clarinda
House District 98: Greg Forristall, R-Macedonia

Candidates with Inactive Opponents on the Ballot
House District 35: Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha
House District 79: Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton

Candidates With Third Party Opponents Only
Senate District 4: Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg (”Grassroots For Life” opponent)
House District 15: Brian Quirk, D-New Hampton (independent opponent)
House District 46: Lisa Heddens, D-Ames (Libertarian opponent)
House District 66: Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines (Green opponent)
House District 77: Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City (independent opponent)
House District 90: John Whitaker, D-Hillsboro (”4th of July Party” opponent)
House District 93: Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa (independent opponent)

The big news in the second week of filing with the Secretary of State was Ralph Nader’s qualifying for the Iowa ballot in the presidential race. Nader joined a half dozen state legislative candidates filing last week:

• Democrat Deb Ballalatak of rural Albia, a full-time mom, was nominated in Senate District 36 against Paul McKinley.
• Ken Vaske of Algona filed in Senate District 4 on the “Grassroots for Life” ticket against Senate president Jack Kibbie.
• In House District 49, based in Ft. Dodge, Republicans nominated Michael Littzen to take on incumbent Democrat Helen Miller. An independent has announced, but not yet filed, in this race as well. Miller has been unopposed the last couple cycles.
• In House District 63 in West Des Moines and Urbandale, Republican Rep. Scott Raecker has drawn a Democratic opponent, Nita Garvin. Raecker was unopposed in 2006 and a two to one winner in 200.
• Democrats switched candidates in House District 50 after Kristin Roberts dropped out following the primary. 2006 nominee Lynne Gentry will now make a second run against Republican incumbent David Tjepkes, who won with 56% last time.
• Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, who represents Ed Fallon’s old House District 66 in central Des Moines, is being opposed by Green candidate Chris Moeller.

Last week’s filing leaves 31 legislative races still officially uncontested.Independent and third parties need 50 signatures to file for a House seat and 100 for a Senate seat. Democrats and Republicans need to hold conventions to nominate late candidates. Time is running out for such conventions, and with Democratic party rules requiring a week’s notice, it may already be too late.

Candidates nominated by convention are rarely successful, but there are exceptions. Democrats had to nominate by convention in the 2nd Congressional District in 2006 after their nominee fell short on signatures to get on the primary ballot. That failure was just one more reason a lot of observers wrote off that candidate — but that race turned out OK for Dave Loebsack.

But with the retirement of longtime incumbent Republican incumbent Sandy Greiner, the parties have reversed roles. It’s the Republicans who have the young candidate with Jarad Klein, while the Democrats have the older contender with Larry Marek.

Marek rolled up a big fundraising lead in the July 19 reports, with $14,924 cash on hand to Klein’s $3,131.

But Klein is clearly a GOP priority, with his large red and white signs on the highways of Washington County outnumbering those for Republican candidates higher on the ticket.Democrats made this a top-priority race in 2004 with Mark Shearer, who represented Washington County in nonconsecutive terms in the House and Senate. In 2006, underfunded Democrat Mark Nolte, young and with few long-term ties to the district, made the race closer than expected.

Klein says his relative youth – he’s 27 to Klein’s 68 – has its advantages. “The energy and enthusiasm wears off on other folks,” he told Iowa Independent at the Republican state convention. “As a young farmer, a young family man, and a young businessman, I believe I’m the best person represent our district.”

Along with a family farm background, Klein has worked as a legislative clerk and a Republican Party campaign staffer.

Greiner, who is stepping down after 16 years in office, is the only representative the district has had under the present lines. First elected to the House in 1992 out of a district in Washington and Keokuk counties, Greiner moved to the Senate in 2000. But she drew the short straw when three senators wound up in one district after redistricting and moved back to the House in 2002.

Washington County makes up about 70 percent of the district, which also includes parts of Johnson and Jefferson counties. Washington has traditionally leaned Republican but has trended the other way recently. Democrat Becky Schmitz carried the House 89 half of her Senate district in her narrow 2006 win in Senate District 45 over incumbent David Miller, and top-of-the-ticket Democrats have run between 48 and 52 percent in the district since the turn of the century.

“Everything you hear on mainstream media is pretty negative,” Klein said of Republican prospects for 2008. “But the reality is night and day,” he said, citing the number and enthusiasm of volunteers.

“This is one of those races that will probably be decided by a few hundred votes either way,” House Speaker Pat Murphy told the crowd at a Marek fundraiser. “This is a winnable race, and we’re targeting it. The big difference is Larry has long-term ties to Washington County,” said the speaker, prompting a handful of chuckles from the partisan crowd.

Klein and his family have farmed in both Washington County and in Keokuk County, which is outside the district. His address is on Keokuk-Washington Road, literally on the boundary of the district. “He isn’t well-known at all,” said Marek supporter Pete Morrison of Klein. “No one knows who he is.”

Klein said that’s not what he’s hearing while he’s doorknocking. “They’re hearing the message” of promoting strong families, building a strong job-producing economy, and balancing the state budget.

Murphy said House Democrats have tried to recruit candidates who fit their districts. Marek has a farm and soy marketing background and helped pass the Riverside casino referendum and organize the casino’s charitable arm. “I’ve been involved with renewable fuels and soil conservation,” Marek told Iowa Independent. He’s setting a goal of increasing Iowa’s wind energy from 1 percent of the state’s electrical generation to 25 or 30 percent, with a corresponding increase in jobs in the renewable sector.

“With Larry’s experience as an assistant soil commissioner, he’ll be a real asset on flood control,” said Rep. John Whittaker of Hillsboro, who represents the other half of Schmitz’s Senate district.

Yet Marek also has a rural fiscal streak. “As a farmer, keeping taxes in line has always been important to me,” he told Iowa Independent.

Klein says as a full-time farmer he understands the tax pressures. “A lot of people, they have to go to town and get that second job because of taxes.”

There’s 125 ballgames this fall in the battle for the Iowa Legislature. More players may yet get on the field, but as of the primary, one of the big two teams is forfeiting the fight in 36 of those contests.

Parties have until Aug. 15 to nominate legislative candidates by convention. Minor party and independent candidates have the same deadline.Unopposed seats are a dirty little open secret of politics. Neither political party responded to requests for a post-primary update. Parties like to keep the free rides they have, don’t want to look bad for failed candidate recruitment efforts and no one wants to acknowledge that sometimes the lines and demographics determine the outcome and some races are just not winnable.

Take for example open Senate District 2 in the state’s northwest corner, where George Bush’s 2004 margin in Sioux County was larger than his statewide total. That’s right, if Sioux County had been ceded to South Dakota, John Kerry would have won a 98-county Iowa. District 2 is one of six Senate races, out of 25, that Democrats are letting slide.

Most of those are on heavily GOP turf. But if an election year turns into a massive partisan landslide, like 1964 or 1974 for the Democrats or 1994 for the Republicans, parties may well regret any lost opportunities such as Senate District 30. Rumors of a top-tier Democratic candidate in that West Des Moines district, against Republican incumbent Pat Ward, failed to materialize.

Republicans are only leaving one Democratic senator unopposed, with no candidate against the state’s longest-serving legislator, Jack Kibbie, in District 4. But they’ve left 20 House seats unchallenged.

Many of those are in heavily Democratic areas. The three House members with districts that are entirely in Johnson County are all unopposed. Greens and Libertarians have run, but Vicki Lensing has not seen a GOP opponent since her first run in 2000, and Mary Mascher has not faced a Republican since her second term in 1996.

While Democrat Doris Kelley only carried the then-open House District 20 in Black Hawk County with 51.5 percent in 2006, there is no Republican candidate this time. The GOP is also letting Mary Gaskill’s House District 93 in Ottumwa slide. Though Wapello County is also strongly Democratic, the seat was held briefly by Republican Galen Davis. However, his one win was mainly the result of some divisive Democratic primaries.

Democrats are running candidates in 90 of 100 House contests, leaving 10 uncontested.

The Democrats aren’t running against Mike May, R-Spirit Lake, in House District 6. Democrat Greg Stevens once held the seat. Redistricting made the district less Democratic in 2002, but he held on by less than 100 votes before May beat him by 1000 votes in 2004.

Democrats also made serious recent efforts at House District 79 centered in Cedar County. Democrat Mike Owen ran hard against GOP incumbent Dan Boddicker in 2002 and lost a close race to Jeff Kaufmann in 2004. Democratic numbers slipped a bit in 2006 when Owen chose not to run. Democrat Rebecca Spears, a self-starter unknown to party activists, filed this year but quit the race.

House District 69 is open this year as moderate Walt Tomenga is stepping down. He saw a competitive 2004 race but won handily in 2006. Conservative Erik Helland won big in the GOP primary, and moderates who backed Tomenga and primary loser Al Lorenzen have no Democratic option.

Races with no Republican candidate

Senate District 4: Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg
House District 15: Brian Quirk, D-New Hampton
House District 20: Doris Kelley, D-Waterloo
House District 22: Deborah Berry, D-Waterloo
House District 24: Roger Thomas, D-Elkader
House District 25: Tom Schueller, D-Maquoketa
House District 30: Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville
House District 34: Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids
House District 42: Geri Huser, D-Altoona
House District 46: Lisa Heddens, D-Ames (this race will likely have a Libertarian Party candidate)
House District 48: Donovan Olson, D-Boone
House District 49: Helen Miller, D-Ft. Dodge
House District 66: Ako Abdul-Samad, D-Des Moines
House District 68: Rick Olson, D-Des Moines
House District 77: Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City
House District 78: Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City
House District 88: Dennis Cohoon, D-Burlington
House District 90: John Whitaker, D-Hillsboro
House District 93: Mary Gaskill, D-Ottumwa

Races with no Democratic candidate

Senate District 2:  Open Seat (Dave Mulder retiring, Randy Feenstra GOP nominee)
Senate District 26: Steve Kettering, R-Lake View
Senate District 28: James Seymour, R-Woodbine
Senate District 30: Pat Ward, R-West Des Moines
Senate District 32: Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale
Senate District 36: Paul McKinley, R-Chariton
House District 5: Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon
House District 6: Mike May, R-Spirit Lake
House District 51: Rod Roberts, R-Carroll
House District 63: J. Scott Raecker, R-Urbandale
House District 69: Open Seat (Walt Tomenga retiring, Erik Helland GOP nominee)
House District 79: Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton
House District 82: Linda Miller, R-Bettendorf
House District 83: Steven Olson, R-DeWitt
House District 97: Rich Anderson, R-Clarinda
House District 98: Greg Forristall, R-Macedonia

The four year terms would begin with the 2009 school election. Each school district must adopt a transition plan by August 1 of this year. Districts vary between electing members at large and by districts, and the dates of term expiration must be settled.

The bill faced some opposition from school officials, who were concerned that a board majority could turn over at one election. However, that has long been the case for city councils and county boards of supervisors. 

County auditors were supportive, as it will eliminate even-year school elections held less than two months before general elections.  The bill is also seen as a money saver. Iowa City School Board member Patti Fields estimates the change will save a million dollars a year statewide.

Auditors will also get a break on the number of special elections per year, as the bill limits the dates that cities, counties, and school districts can hold special elections. Cities and counties would largely be limited to the first Tuesday in March, May or August, while school districts would be able to go in February, April or June.  46 days notice would be required for a special election, an increase from the old standard of 32 days.  Hurry-up special elections to fill vacant offices, such as a mid-session legislative vacancy, would still be possible.

This fall’s school election would also be the first election that will allow counties to set up “voting centers.”  That would let voters cast ballots at any polling place in their jurisdiction, and not just the precinct where they live. HF2620 limits voting centers to smaller turnout elections and excludes primary and general elections. The provision is seen as a way to test the voting center concept before potentially trying it in a larger election.

The bill also codifies the lawsuit settlement between the secretary of state’s office and the Green and Libertarian parties. That settlement established “political organization” status for minor parties, so voters can register with those affiliations.

And in a change that may have an impact on the November election, new restrictions would be placed on challenges to voters.  Blanket challenges to whole groups of voters would be barred — each challenge must be made individually.  Frivolous challenges would become an aggravated misdemeanor.  In 2004, the Republican Party challenged thousands of voters, with their biggest effort in heavily Democratic Johnson County.

“I think it just equalizes the playing field as to what issues can be bargained,” said Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City. “I don’t understand why an equal playing field creates problems for administrators.”

Gov. Chet Culver has threatened to veto the bill, saying it hasn’t received enough public debate, but Mascher countered: “It’s something Democrats have supported for many many years. It needed to be done a long time ago.”

“I really don’t think it will have an enormous budgetary impact,” said Mascher. “90 percent of contracts are voluntarily settled, and this won’t change that at all.”

“Public employees understand that if we strangle the employer we’re strangling ourselves,” said Rep. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids. “The folks we’re talking about are also taxpayers.”

Taylor said the proposal simply expands the number and nature of items which may be negotiated. “In negotiations, there are the mandatory subjects like wages, and there are permitted subjects,” said Taylor. “Open scope just says if one side wants an issue on the table, they have to talk about it. Thirty-four other states have it. It’s not a new idea; it’s just a new idea for Iowa.”

Dvorsky said any contract items would still have to be negotiated, and the process works both ways: local governments could place previously off-limits issues on the table. “Any time we can give a little more respect and dignity for public employees, it’s good,” he said, adding that open scope would improve relationships with bargaining units.

“One of the issues is teacher prep time,” said Mascher, who is an elementary school teacher. “Whenever we got to arbitration, we had to start talking about ‘break’ time, as opposed to prep time. It’s important for us to be able to negotiate prep time.”

Some school officials opposed the four-year terms out of concern that a board majority could turn over at one election. But Patti Fields of the Iowa City school board backs the legislation. “It is hard enough to find candidates to run to make the elections competitive, let alone four to knock off four,” she said.

“41 states have school board terms of 4 years or more.” Fields told Iowa Independent. “It can take two to three years for school board members to get a good understanding on how things work and run, and a four year term actually gives members a year or two to really work effectively. Right now it is possible to have a new board member every year, and that can have its disadvantages.”

Fields also said auditors are very supportive of the bill as it would reduce the workload of school elections in even numbered years, which fall less than two months before general elections.

Fields, who is completing her first three-year term this year, said her main reason for supporting the bill is the money involved. “Locally it is $10,000 to 12,000 a year, but as a state it is a million dollars a year,” she said. “I do not believe that we are being good stewards of tax dollars holding elections every fall for a possible 5 percent voter turnout.”

One step that might increase that turnout is the voting center provision of the bill. Voting centers would allow voters to vote on Election Day in a precinct other than the one in which they live, such as a polling place they drive by on the way to or from work. The provision is designed to test out the voting center concept in lower turnout city and school elections, and would not apply to primary and general elections.

Under both versions of the legislation, ballot measures would have to be held either with regular elections or on predetermined dates during the year. In Johnson County in 2004, five cities held nearly identical cable franchise elections on three separate dates. With the primary and school elections thrown in, this meant an election a month during the run-up to the presidential election.

The bill would also codify the agreement between the Secretary of State and small political parties that has, since January 1, included the Greens and Libertarians on voter registration forms. Minor parties need to have run a candidate for statewide office in the last ten years and get 850 signatures on a petition to qualify for “political organization” status. They can lose that status if statewide registration drops below 150.

In Senate District 22, where Republican Larry McKibben is retiring, Marshalltown minister Tom Bower left the GOP primary race. This sets up the fall matchup between Republican Jarret Heil, a former staffer for Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Tom Latham, and Democrat Steven Sodders of State Center, a deputy sheriff and former county party chair.

In House District 29, where Rep. Ro Foege announced his retirement two days before the March 14 filing deadline, Solon Democrat Shawn Mercer withdrew his candidacy. Lisbon attorney Nate Willems is now unopposed in the Democratic primary and will see Republican Emma Nemecek, who lost to Foege in 2006.

Iowa Senate

Senate District 16: Tom Hancock, D-Epworth
Hancock knocked off short-term GOP incumbent Julie Hosch narrowly in 2004. Hosch took the seat narrowly in 2002 after incumbent Tom Flynn got burned in redistricting. Cascade car dealer Dave McLaughlin and Gary Lee Culver of Wyoming will face off in a Republican primary.

Senate District 18: Mary Lundby, R-Marion, retiring
Rep. Swati Dandekar is the Democrats’ top pickup hope. Dandekar became the first Indian-American woman elected to a state legislature in history, and the first Democrat to win her Marion district, in 2002. Lundby, who is stepping down to run for a newly reorganized Linn County Board of Supervisors, had solid wins her whole career. District demographics lean Republican, but Dandekar has been personally popular and charted a moderate course in the House. Republican Joe Childers, a Marion banker, seems to be the primary front-runner, but he faces horse rescue activist Karla Sibert of Palo in June.

Senate District 22: Larry McKibben, R-Marshalltown, retiring
Democrat Steven Sodders of State Center started running before McKibben quit. He’s a deputy sheriff in Marshall County and former Marshal County Democratic chair. Republican Jarret Heil has been a Grassley and Latham staffer. He’ll face Marshalltown minister Tom Bower in a primary Update: Bower has withdrawn.  This was close — 800 votes — in the 2004 general.

Senate District 38: Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa
Reilly was a Democratic gain in 2004 when he knocked off Neal Schuerer. He won his own normally GOP turf while breaking even in Schuerer’s Iowa County base; most of the margin came out of Grinnell. Republican Michael Hadley of Richland is a 30-year local fire chief and active in the Farm Bureau.

Senate District 42: Frank Wood, D-Davenport
Wood won by only 480 votes in 2004 against two-year incumbent Brian Sievers in a district that has part of west Davenport and large parts of rural Scott and Clinton counties. The GOP has a top-tier challenger with Davenport alderman Shawn “the Hammer” Hamerlinck. Think there’s any negative campaigning possibilities for a guy with that nickname? First the Hammer has to nail down the nomination in a primary against Thomas Black, a Lowe’s manager running on an anti-smoking-ban platform.

Iowa House

House District 9: McKinley Bailey, D-Webster City
Young veteran Bailey beat three-term incumbent George Eichhorn — now making a long-shot U.S. Senate race against Tom Harkin — by more than 1,000 votes in 2006, rolling up most of that margin in Hamilton County. The GOP is running talk radio host Jamie Johnson.

House District 21: Tami Wiencek, R-Waterloo
Wiencek, a former KWWL anchor, was one of the Iowa GOP’s few bright spots in 2006 when she knocked off longtime incumbent Don Shoultz. Democrats are challenging with Kerry Burt, a former Hawkeye football star who’s now a mortgage and insurance dealer and part-time football announcer. Burt co-founded and volunteered for The Black Alliance, a nonprofit organization that addressed issues of young black men. He’s made previous unsuccessful runs for mayor and city council. This district is Democratic on paper, but Wiencek is well-known from her TV career.

House District 36: Swati Dandekar, D-Marion, running for state Senate
Gretchen Lawyer is running (literally, she competes in foot races) on the Democratic side; she’s a teacher taking time away from the classroom to be a mom. Marion City Council member Nick Wagner took 47 percent against Dandekar in 2006 and is the Republican candidate again.

House District 39: Dawn Pettengill, R-Mt. Auburn
This will be Pettengill’s first test since her end-of-session party switch last year. Democrats would dearly love revenge with Terry Hertle of Vinton. He serves on the Benton County Community Foundation board and he and his family have been active in ag and county fair activities.

House District 44: Polly Granzow, R-Eldora, retiring
Democrat Tim Hoy, the former mayor of Eldora who came just 260 votes short of knocking off Granzow in 2006, is trying again this year. Annette Sweeney of Alden hopes to hold the seat for the GOP.

House District 75: Eric Palmer, D-Oskaloosa
Call it a comeback: Danny Carroll of Grinnell, who lost his seat to Palmer in 2006, is running again. The 2006 race was dead-even in Mahaska County; Palmer rolled up his 700-vote margin in Powesheiek and largely on the Grinnell campus. This district overlaps with half of the the Senate District 38 race.

House District 80: Nathan Reichert, D-Muscatine
Reichert won a big 2004 upset when he beat Barry Brauns, who was trying for a comeback after two years out of the House. Republicans ran Muscatine County Sheriff Greg Orr in 2006, but Reichert won by a surprisingly strong margin. City Council member Robert Howard is the GOP challenger this time. Muscatine has been trending blue in recent years — Democrats took control of the Board of Supervisors in 2006 — but it’s got to bother Iowans for Tax Relief head David Stanley that a Democrat holds his old legislative seat.

House District 84: Elesha Gayman, D-Davenport
Gayman has been on the GOP hit list since day one. The youngest female legislator in state history scored a major 273-vote upset against Jim Van Fossen (the elder) in 2006 in west Davenport and Scott County. Farmer Ross Paustian of Walcott, past president of the Scott County Farm Bureau, hopes to take the seat back for the GOP and has raised more money than Gayman so far. This overlaps with the District 42 Senate race.

House District 89: Sandy Greiner, R-Keota, retiring
Greiner never really seemed to get over losing out in a triple-pair redistricting that cost her a Senate seat after only two years. She ran for the House instead and beat a weak opponent in 2002. Was targeted in 2004 by Mark Shearer, who had two legislative careers in four different districts. Finally, she had a surprisingly close race against underfunded Mark Nolte in 2006. Becky Schmitz can thank a big margin from the Johnson County part of this district for her 2006 Senate win. The GOP is running young farmer Jarad Klein; the Democrats have farmer and soybean board member Larry Marek.

Two open Republican seats, in addition to the Angelo seat, will see GOP primaries.  In Senate District 20, where John Putney is leaving, Keystone farmer Tim Kapucian was the first announced Republican candidate.  He’s being challenged by Richard Vander Mey of Traer, who won only 28% in a 2004 primary challenge to Rep. Lance Horbach.  The winner will face Democrat Randy Braden, the Vinton-Shellsburg superintendent.

In Marion’s Senate District 18, long held by Republican Mary Lundby, banker Joe Childers of Marion and horse rescue activist Karla Sibert of Palo face off for the GOP nod.  The winner will see Democratic Rep. Swati Dandekar in the fall.

Two districts will have Republican primaries for the right to face incumbent Democrats who narrowly won first terms in 2004.  Cascade car dealer Dave McLaughlin and Gary Lee Culver (suggested campaign slogan: “No Relation”) of Wyoming will face off in a Republican primary in Democrat Tom Hancock’s District 16.  In Davenport’s District 42, the Republicans have a top tier recruit against Sen. Frank Wood in Davenport alderman Shawn “the Hammer” Hamerlinck.  First the Hammer has to nail down the nomination in a primary against Thomas Black, a Lowe’s manager running on an anti-smoking ban platform.

On the House side, four incumbents face primary challenges.  In District 22, anti-coal plant activist Don Shatzer looks to send Rep. Deborah Berry back to Waterloo.  The district has a short but charged history with an indecisive four-way 2002 primary and two special nominating conventions.  The primary will probably settle the race where Republicans didn’t file, though parties have until August 15 to nominate a candidate by convention.

The too conservative for some tastes Rep. Geri Huser, D-Altoona, is being primaried by Matt Ballard in District 42.  And Rep. Wayne Ford, D-Des Moines, faces a three-way race against Charles Hoffman and community organizer Tyler Reedy in District 65. 

The lone Republican incumbent with a primary challenge is Rep. Jim Van Engelenhoeven of Pella.  Marc Held, also of Pella, is part of a complicated family custody case and running to draw attention to the issue.  The primary winner faces Democrat Pat Van Zante. 

There are some crowded fields in open or promising districts.  The biggest crowd is the four Democratic candidate field in District 16, where Republican Chuck Gipp is retiring.  Three Decorah Democrats see an opportunity here: 2006 candidate (41%) Tom Hansen, 2004 Senate candidate (45%) John Beard, and John Franzen.  The fourth Democrat is Allamakee County Supervisor Lennie Burke, of Dorchester.  Decorah City Council member Randy Schissel is the lone GOP candidate.

Three Democrats want to challenge first-term Rep. Dave Deyoe of Nevada, who beat Democrat Susan Radke by about 700 votes in 2006.  Radke is running again; she’ll see a primary against Josh Eaton, an IBEW member, and Sam Juhl, who got national attention in 2005 when he was elected mayor of Roland at age 18.  He’s a DMACC student in addition to his civic duties.

There is also a three way primary in open House District 13, where Mason City Republican Bill Schickel is leaving.  2002 nominee Lionel Foster, longtime head of Mason City’s human rights commission, is trying again; builder Texas Newman and retired teacher Sharon Steckman are also running.  Steckman’s husband Alan was the nominee against Schickel in 2006 so maybe the yard signs are reusable.  Mason City Councilman Scott Tornquist is the GOP candidate.

Two more three-way primaries in solid Democratic districts will probably be decisive.  In Dubuque’s District 27, Rep. Pam Jochum is hoping to move to the Senate.  Labor leader Francis Giunta and Charles Isenhart, former executive director of the Dubuque Area Labor-Management Council, will face off against Adam Mennig, a Clarke College student who’s already won a seat on the Dubuque School Board.  Office supply manager Lou Oswald will try on the GOP side.

The last tough race in House District 92 was when representatives Phil Wise and Rick Larkin got paired in 2002 redistricting; that Democratic primary broke sharply on Ft. Madison vs. Keokuk lines and Wise (and Keokuk) won.  Now Wise is retiring and there are two Keokuk candidates, both with United Auto Workers roots: Jerry Kearns and Ron Payne.  This would seem to favor the one Fort Madison candidate, who also packs a lot of name ID: Former county supervisor, current Ft. Madison Chamber of Commerce head, and onetime congressional candidate Tracy Vance.  Retired Keokuk police officer Gary Ramaker is the one Republican.

The only House district seeing primaries in both parties is District 59.  GOP Incumbent Dan Clute is leaving after just one term.  Republican candidate Chris Hagenow ran a credible but failed county recorder race against a divided Polk County Democratic Party.  He’ll see Susan Murphy of Clive in the primary.  Windsor Heights mayor Jerry Sullivan appears to be the main chance Democrat, but ISU computer scientist Mark Matel is also running.

In three seats, Republican have primaries to replace retiring Republicans.  Insurance adjustor Jason Schultz of Schleswig faces farmer and school board member Don Friedrichsen of Holstein in District 55.  That’ll probably decide who takes over for Clarence Hoffman.  Ankeny Community Education Director Kevin Koester and attorney Jeff Wright face off in Carmine Boal’s District 70.  Matt Pfaltzgraf, a University of Iowa student government leader, is making the Back Home run on the Democratic side.  And a classic conservative vs. moderate battle is brewing to replace Walt Tomenga in District 69.  Erik Helland of Grimes, who was a John McCain staffer, started early and has Iowans for Tax Relief backing.  Al Lorenzen, of Granger, has a Bob Ray endorsement on his home page and some residual name ID from Hawkeye basketball days a couple decades ago.  No Democrats sighted yet.

Democrat Bob Kressig has seen two very close races in District 19.  Republicans will choose between Carlin Hageman, a UNI speech/hearing professor, and Marshall Shoemaker, a Ron Paul supporter. 

Republican Adam Vandall of Newton will try again to beat Democrat Paul Bell in District 41; he won 37% in the 2006 general.  Vandall faces Susan Schmidt of Kellogg in the primary.

Des Moines Democrat Bruce Hunter has been unopposed in primary and general elections since taking over late in the 2002 cycle.  There’s two Republicans this time: Chris Sanger and Jeremy Walters.  Walters lost to Geri Huser in District 42 in November 2002 by a wide margin.

Bloomfield Democrat Kurt Swaim had it easy last time after his Republican opponent effectively quit the race in protest of negative party mailings.  Two Republicans will primary this year for the right to face Swaim : John Bridges of Centerville and Howard Hubbard of Floris.