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Which topics dominated this year’s legislative session? Here are some of the top issues that defined a tumultuous season at the Iowa Capitol.
Michael Zamora, [email protected]
Iowa Senate President Senator Jack Kibbie holds a commemorative gavel given to him after his last joint session in 2012.(Photo: Rodney White/The Register)
Twenty-five seats are up for grabs in Iowa Senate races this fall with minority Democrats battling to rebuild and Republicans feverishly working to hang onto their majority.
Republicans say they are confident of maintaining control of the 50-seat Senate chamber in the Nov. 6 election. Democrats saythey see opportunities to gain seats in the Iowa Senate after devastating losses two years ago.
But Democrats privately say the map, and the math, make it extraordinarily difficult for them to end Republican Senate control in November.
Republicans currently hold 29 seats in the Legislature’s upper chamber to Democrats’ 20 seats, with one independent lawmaker. Republicans have also controlled the House and the governor’s office, giving the party a firm grip on the state’s legislative agenda the past two years.
The races for Iowa Legislature are less splashy than the battles for Congress and governor — but the result of the House and Senate elections could have more impact on the status of voters’ health care, schools and taxes than those more expensive contests.
Republicans can’t imagine losing
Republicans believe they will pick up at least two seats in the Iowa Senate this fall, padding their majority.
One is in northwest Iowa, where Republican Zach Whiting of Spirit Lake is unchallenged for a seat being vacated by independent Sen. David Johnson. Another is in central Iowa, where Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, is a heavy favorite to win an open seat over Democrat Dan Nieland of Altoona. Neiland lost two previous bids for the Iowa House and whose wife was recently indicted on federal charges of Social Security fraud.
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann (Photo: Special to the Register)
Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said he is looking forward to big successes in Iowa Senate races. Senate Republicans currently have only two female members — Sens. Amy Sinclair of Allerton and Annette Sweeney of Alden. But five other GOP women are seeking election to the Senate this fall and all are running competitively, he said.
“I honestly do not see a scenario where we do not pick up Iowa Senate seats,” Kaufmann said. “There is no evidence this overwhelming ‘Blue Wave’ is coming. There is evidence there are a lot of energetic, excited, progressive Democrats. But there is also evidence we have a lot of excited Republicans who want to hold the gains that have been made.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price dismisses the Republican’s upbeat talk.
Troy Price (Photo: Special to the Register)
He believes Democrats are in a strong position to defend Senate seats they already hold and could gain seats in Democratic-leaning districts. This includes one seat being vacated in southeast Iowa by Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa. Another is held in northwest Iowa by Sen. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City, who recently reversed his plans not to seek re-election.
Price believes Iowans are unhappy with Republican lawmakers’ enacting the nation’s most restrictive ban on abortions, rollbacks of collective bargaining rights for public employees; changes in workers’ compensation programs; tight budgets for public schools; and the privatization of Iowa’s Medicaid program.
“The thing I hear about the most is privatized Medicaid and health care in general,” Price said. “We have heard heartbreaking stories about that and about education funding. People are frustrated with what is happening in our schools.”
A recent Iowa Poll found that health care and education are top issues for voters.
Kaufmann said GOP lawmakers fulfilled their campaign promises of two years ago by approving tax cuts and reducing government regulatory burdens, “standing up for life” and supporting bills that protect Second Amendment gun rights.
“I think in Iowa there is respect for doing what you say and not melting under any kind of pressure,” Kaufmann said.
Outside groups weighing in
Political advocacy groups on both sides are closely watching this fall’s campaigns. Some are writing checks or sending volunteers, or both.
Drew Klein, state director of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative/libertarian advocacy group funded by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, said the organization is especially interested in the governor’s race, but it could have an impact on other contests as well.
“Based on what I know about the political landscape, the Iowa Senate is likely to expand its Republican majority” by one to three seats, Klein said. He added he’d like to see Republicans continue to reduce taxes while simplifying Iowa’s tax system and streamlining state government.
Charlie Wishman, secretary-treasurer of the Iowa Federation of Labor, said union members want to build a pro-worker majority in the Iowa Legislature, which he believes may or may not happen until the 2020 election cycle.
Wishman said union members are knocking on doors of fellow union members and talking with them at work sites, urging them to vote for candidates who support a pro-labor agenda.
“When you knock on the door and say, ‘Hey, I am a fellow union brother or sister,’ there is a level of comfort and trust. Not everyone will agree 100 percent, all the way, but that is why you have these conversations,” Wishman said.
Other groups are also trying to influence voters.
NextGen Iowa, the state arm of an environmental and social justice organization founded by billionaire activist Tom Steyer, has been registering young voters — ages 18 to 35, statewide. Jason Kander’s “Let America Vote,” is also door-knocking in Iowa, focused on voting rights. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, a grassroots activist group that battles large-scale hog confinements and fights on other fronts, is helping several Democratic legislative candidates with ties to its organization.
These are the key Senate races, which will determine which party holds the chamber next year
Senate District 27: Four-term Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City, is being challenged by Shannon Latham, a Sheffield Republican whose husband is related to former U.S. Rep. Tom Latham. Ragan is a longtime community activist who is executive director of two non-profit agencies, The Community Kitchen of North Iowa and Mason City Meals on Wheels. Latham is vice president of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, a family-owned seed business. The northern Iowa district has 12,844 Republicans, 10,345 Democrats, and 15,989 other voters.
Senate District 29: Sen. Tod Bowman, D-Maquoketa, is opposed by Carrie Koelker, a Dyersville Republican, in an eastern Iowa race. Bowman is a two-term lawmaker who teaches high school and community college students. Koelker is director of the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association. The district has 14,678 Democrats, 11,807 Republicans, and 17,581 other voters.
Senate District 41: This southeast Iowa seat is being vacated by Chelgren, which has set up a contest between Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Democrat Mary Stewart, both of Ottumwa. Miller-Meeks, an ophthalmologist and former state health director, has lost three previous campaigns for Congress, but GOP officials say they are optimistic about her Senate candidacy. Stewart is a former community college administrator with more than 30 years’ experience in job training and economic development. The district has 13,542 Democrats, 10,645 Republicans, and 11,175 other voters.
Senate District 19: Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, a former Iowa State University football player, is facing an ambitious campaign by Amber Gustafson, an Ankeny Democrat and a former state chapter leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The district’s voter registration favors Whitver with 17,710 Republicans, 14,596 Democrats, and 16,704 others, and Whitver is raising lots of money. But Gustafson is getting some outside help from Let America Vote, which has knocked on more than 12,000 doors in the district.
Senate District 7: Sen. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City, announced in March he wouldn’t seek re-election to his northwest Iowa district, but he was persuaded by Gov. Kim Reynolds and other Republicans to re-enter the race in August after a candidate nominated earlier by the GOP dropped out. Bertrand, who led a fight in the Iowa Legislature to approve a ban on most abortions in Iowa after about six weeks, will face Democrat Jackie Smith of Sioux City. She is a former Woodbury County supervisor who has promised to focus on improving Iowa’s schools and ensuring access to affordable health care. The district has 11,111 registered Democrats, 9,055 Republicans, and 10,373 other voters.
Senate District 13: Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola, a retired lawyer and farmer who previously served as an assistant Iowa attorney general, is challenged by Democrat Vicky Brenner of Winterset, a retired Indianola High School teacher. Garrett has pushed for fiscal responsibility in state government and he was the floor manager of a bill aimed at requiring local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration officials. Brenner is emphasizing strong support for public education and standing up against injustice. Brenner has been campaigning vigorously and had more campaign cash on hand than Garrett through mid-July. But the district’s voter registration leans towards the GOP with 12,330 Democrats,15,503 Republicans, and 15,501 other voters. The district includes most of Warren County and all of Madison County.
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