IowaPolitics.com: Election Blog

Gov.-elect Terry Branstad today made the following appointments to guide his transition effort and lead his new administration:

* David Roederer was named as chairman of the transition team and will lead the transition effort leading up to the Jan. 14, 2011 inaugural.

* Jeffrey Boeyink was named co-chairman of the transition team and designated by Branstad as his new administration’s chief of staff.

* Tim Albrecht was named communications director for the new Branstad administration and will also handle all communications duties on behalf of the transition team.

“Iowans expect us to hit the ground running and the appointment of these three capable individuals to lead our transition efforts shows we are serious about beginning this process immediately and preparing our team to be ready to act on day one,” Branstad said. “David, Jeff, and Tim are proven successful leaders and they will assist me in building a dynamic new team to lead our state and accomplish our ambitious goals.”

Roederer is executive director of the Iowa Chamber Alliance and former chief of staff for Branstad. Boeyink currently serves as campaign manager for Branstad, and Albrecht currently serves as the campaign's communications director.

Labels: 2010_election

Senate Democatic spokesman Ben Foecke said early Wednesday that Democrats won 25 seats and were expecting to win the two outstanding races in Senate Districts 13 and 47.

If that prediction comes true, that means Democrats would have a 27-23 majority in the Iowa Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, gave a similar assessment earlier in the night, pegging the Republican caucus at 23 seats but saying he was still watching the same two races.

In the 47th District, the state elections website currently shows Sen. Keith Kreiman, D-Bloomfield, leading Republican Mark Chelgren, 50.8 to 49.1 percent with 36 of 39 precincts reporting.

With all precincts reporting in Senate District 13, the site shows Democrat Tod Bowman defeating Republican Andrew Naeve by 38 votes. McKinley said earlier there could be a recount in this district.

Labels: 2010_election

The Associated Press has called the secretary of state's race for Republican challenger Matt Schultz.

With 99.6 percent of precincts reporting, the state's election website shows Schultz leading by more than 28,000 votes. He's at 49.75 percent compared to 47.06 percent for incuimbent Democrat Michael Mauro.

Labels: 2010_election

The fight to preserve the right for same-sex couples to marry will continue despite tonight's vote against the retention of three Iowa Supreme Court justices who gave couples that right, One Iowa executive director Carolyn Jenison said in a letter to supporters early Wednesday morning.

"Over the past year and a half Iowans have fought off and beaten back every attempt to diminish this ruling," Jenison said. "In this election, three of the courageous justices who recognized the freedom to marry in Iowa fell victim to a perfect storm of electoral discontent and out-of-state special interest money. In addition, many of our pro-equality allies from Governor Culver to statehouse candidates lost their seats due to an anti-incumbent mood that swept the nation."

Jenison said while the full implications of these election results remain to be seen, one thing remains the same. "The freedom to marry in Iowa remains intact," she said.

She said in the months and weeks ahead, supporters of same-sex marriage can expect renewed attempts to overturn the freedom to marry and write discrimination into the Iowa Constitution.

"It will take a concerted and collective effort on the part of pro-equality Iowans to respond to these attacks and defend on our liberties," she said. "This is no time to be discouraged. While our fight may be tireless, our mission is clear. Together, we will protect marriage equality and preserve Iowa's long tradition of equal rights for all."

Labels: 2010_election

Republicans not only took control of the Iowa House tonight, but did so in dramatic style as Republicans say they won at least 59 seats, while Democrats count themselves with between 39 and 42 seats.

"They had a pretty big night," said House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque. "We took a bath tonight, there's no question about that."

Murphy said he already called House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, to congratulate him. Talk between the two leaders about the transition of power will begin Wednesday.

"We did everything we thought we could do to preserve the majority," Murphy said. "The undecideds, obviously most voted against us ... We'll live to fight another day. Tonight, we have to give Republicans credit. They got control of the Iowa House."

Murphy speculated that health care reform could have played a role in Democrats losing control. But he said he has no regrets about anything he's done in the campaign, in his 21 years as a legislator and seven years as a leader.

"There might be individual things that people might be upset about but that's part of the process," he said. "I feel very happy about the opportunity I've had as minority leader and speaker."

Here's a look at where Republicans gained seats:

Republicans say they started the night with 26 incumbents without opponents, and won all 13 incumbents with challengers.

Twelve challengers defeated Democratic incumbents:
HD 9 -- Iverson (beat Bailey)
HD 20 -- Rogers (beat Kelley)
HD 23 -- Rasmussen (beat Ficken)
HD 25 -- Moore (beat Schueller)
HD 31 -- Hein (beat Zirkelbach)
HD 42 -- Pearson (beat Huser)
HD 48 -- Baltimore (beat D. Olson)
HD 75 -- Vander Linden (beat Palmer)
HD 80 -- Lofgren (beat Reichert)
HD 89 -- Klein (beat Marek)
HD 95 -- Fry (beat Reasoner)
HD 100 -- Brandenburg (beat Shomshor)

Meanwhile, eight Republicans won open seats:
HD 1 -- Taylor (was previously a D seat)
HD 8 -- Shaw (was previously a D seat)
HD 14 -- Byrnes (was previously a D seat)
HD 54 -- Jorgensen (previously a R seat)
HD 73 -- Garrett (previously a R seat)
HD 74 -- Massie (previously a R seat)
HD 84 -- Paustian (was previously D seat)
HD 99 -- Hanusa (previously a R seat)

Republicans did lose one open seat, House District 51, previously held by Rep. Rod Roberts, R-Carroll, who ran for governor.

"That's 59 seats," said House Republican spokeswoman Josie Klingaman. "We're still waiting for approximately two to three races which we will not know the answers to tonight."

Labels: 2010_election

Voters appear to have chosen not to retain three Iowa Supreme Court justices tonight.

With 96 percent of precincts reporting, the vote in each race is running against retention by roughly a 54 percent to 46 percent margin.

Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, along with Justices Michael Streit and David Baker appear set to lose their positions as voters gave in to a push to out the justices in the wake of last year’s controversial same-sex marriage ruling.

“We called their activist nature into question and voted all three off the court,” said Iowa for Freedom chairman Bob Vander Plaats as his watch party was winding down. “People are very energized and they’re very proud of Iowans for standing up to freedom and voting the justices out.”

But the “yes” crowd expressed worry, rather than anger or frustration, at the results. “We’re extremely concerned about what this would mean for the influence of outside special interest groups on our courts,” said Erin Seidler, spokeswoman for Justice, Not Politics, a non-profit organization that pushed to keep politics out of the judiciary and urged Iowans to retain the justices. “We’ve concerned with the precedent this sets."

“The result tonight is an unfortunate but direct result of nearly $1 million of negative campaign ads against our courts that were financed by out of state extreme special interest groups,” said Seidler.

But Vander Plaats believes the message applies nationally. “I think we sent a message not just all across Iowa but all across the country that we’re not going to take judicial activism,” he said. “The power still belongs to the people.”

Labels: 2010_election

It appears that Democratic Secretary of State Michael Mauro will lose his bid for re-election.

Mauro, former Polk County auditor, trails Republican Matt Schultz of Council Bluffs by more than 25,600 votes, 49.7 to 47.1 percent, with 93.5 percent of the precincts counted

Mauro would join Culver in being the only two statewide incumbents to be ousted, not counting the three Iowa Supeme Court justices.

Republican State Auditor David Vaudt, Democratic State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald, Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller and Republican Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey all won their bids for re-election.

Labels: 2010_election

Republican attorney general candidate Brenna Findley tonight said she thinks she ran a good race that focused on the issues, and she believes Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller's incumbency was a strong asset to him in his successful re-election bid.

"Obviously Tom Miller is an entrenched incumbent," Findley said.

Findley also said she thinks Miller's negative ads had an effect. She said she is still adding up the money Miller's campaign spent on the ads, but she believes it was over $1 million.

Labels: 2010_election

Control of the Iowa Senate is depending upon two races that have not yet been decided.

Republicans have picked up five seats and are now at 23, said Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton. Democrats have had a 32-18 advantage for the past two years.

"We've had some excellent wins," McKinley said. "We have five in the bank, a net pickup which we're ecstatic with."

Among the pickups was one in Senate District 1, where Republican Rick Bertrand has apparently defeated Democrat Rick Mullin in the seat left open by Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City.

"We feel very, very good about it," McKinley said. "The Senate Republicans have not picked up seats since 1998. This is first time in 12 years we've actually won seats."

McKinley said he was still waiting on absentee ballots and a precinct in Wayne County to be counted for Republican Mark Chelgren, who is challenging Sen. Keith Kreiman, D-Bloomfield, in Senate District 47. "He's down 180 votes," McKinley said. "It's a Republican county."

Another race that appears to be headed for a recount. Republican Andrew Naeve is up against Tod Bowman in Senate District 13. McKinley said there's a dispute about whether Naeve won or loss; it appears he's down 25 votes.

Meanwhile, Republicans may have declared that they've regained control of the Iowa House, but Democrats aren't willing to acknowledge defeat just yet.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, said before midnight that they were still getting results in and he expected to have a more complete picture around 12:30 a.m.

Labels: 2010_election

Culver campaign manager Donn Stanley was disappointed with the election results, but congratulatory of the Branstad campaign.

“Of course we’re disappointed,” Stanley told IowaPolitics.com. “But we want to congratulate Governor Branstad. The state goes on and I think we did the best we can and Chet Culver is going to have quite a productive career whatever he chooses to do going forward. We really worked hard because we really believe in Chet Culver and his record and his vision.”

Stanley said that it was a tough time to be an incumbent, citing some of the worst economic climates in U.S. history and some of the worst natural disasters in Iowa history.

“I think the main issue was that it was a very tough year,” he said. “We had a lot of problems here in Iowa with the natural disasters and economic disasters and you just have to play the hand you have. The governor did a great job under some tough conditions. Just sometimes it works out this way."

Labels: 2010_election

The wires are being unwound and the lights have come up at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, site of the Iowa Democratic Party on election night. Many people seemed to leave with mixed feelings, as Gov. Chet Culver and Roxanne Conlin lost, but Iowa's three sitting Democratic congressmen will return.

"What went right — and I know it sounds goofy: We executed a plan that was absolutely the right plan," said Sue Dvorsky, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.

"We identified our voters, voters that have never voted in a midterm election in their lives and we turned them out," Dvorsky said. "That's what went right."

Dvorsky said the re-election of Tom Miller to attorney general represented a positive note, as it is "enormously important to have a watchdog."

More important was the re-election of Iowa's three sitting congressmen.

"In a year when they said it was gonna be a tsunami and we'd lose everything, we didn't lose everything," Dvorsky said.

Labels: 2010_election

Attorney General Tom Miller was a gracious winner Tuesday night and showed no qualms about working with the Branstad administration once again.

“I’ve worked with a lot of different administrations,” he told IowaPolitics.com. “One of the principles of our office is the professionalism in the office. We work professionally with whoever’s there in office and give them the best legal advice that we can.”

Miller commended Brenna Findley’s campaign for their efforts this election cycle. “She worked very hard, she raised a lot of money, she was tenacious, she ran a good race,” Miller said.

The crowd had thinned out for Miller's victory speech, which was fairly short.

"I'm getting another chance to be attorney general, and what I feel is gratitude," Miller said.

Labels: 2010_election

Governor-elect Terry Branstad tonight said he thinks the people of Iowa have spoken clearly, as it appears the three Iowa Supreme Court justices up for retention will be ousted.

"The people of Iowa have spoken to say the Supreme Court overstepped its bounds," Branstad said.

Branstad still declined to say how he voted on the issue personally, and said now it is important for the state to take a hard look at its judicial nominating process. He also said he hopes Gov. Chet Culver doesn't appoint new justices on his way out of the office.

"I think it would be inappropriate for a governor who was just rejected by the voters to rush through the appointments of judges," Branstad said.

Branstad also said he is pleased that Republicans have apparently gained control of the Iowa House and come within two seats of controlling the Iowa Senate.

"I love a split Legislature," Branstad jokes. "We got a lot done with that. I just didn't want Democrats controlling both chambers."

Labels: 2010_election

Rep. Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said tonight that House Republicans will be the majority party in the 2011 Legislative session.

"I thought you all might be interested to know I just took a phone call from Pat Murphy who wants to talk about how we're going to go about changing offices," Paulsen said. "I told him I appreciated the call and that House Republicans are ready to go to work on behalf of Iowans."

Paulsen said while he doesn't know the final number, it's unquestionable that Republicans will be the majority in the Iowa House. He said the final number will be somewhere in the mid 50's.

"What I think this means to start out with is Iowa's right to work law is set, federal deductibility is safe and rest assured I have absolutely no intention of ever kicking Iowans out of the House of Representatives," Paulsen said.

Paulsen also said House Republicans will focus on free-market principles, getting the budget under control and allowing Iowans to vote on the definition of marriage.

Labels: 2010_election

Judicial retention of three Iowa Supreme Court justices has not officially been called one way or the other, but Iowa for Freedom state chairman Bob Vander Plaats is giving what sounds like a victory speech on TV now.

"Let's never forget who makes the law, let's never forget who executes the law," Vander Plaats said. "It's 'We the People.'"

Results currently show that voters rejected Chief Justice Marsha Ternus by a vote of 54 to 46 percent, with 83 percent of precincts reporting.

The "no" vote for Justice Michael Streit was 54 to 46 percent.

And voters also appear to have rejected Justice David Baker, 54 to 46 percent.

Labels: 2010_election

Democratic supporters at the Hotel Fort Des Moines dispersed quickly after Gov. Chet Culver’s concession speech. The crowd that was once as large as 300 has now shrunken to a core group of about 100 supporters.

It was a tough race on the Culver family as seen from the first lady’s tears.

The demeanor of the crowd took a wild ride from celebration shortly after the victories by Braley, Boswell and Loebsack, to sorrow after the defeat of Culver.

Labels: 2010_election

Two key Senate Democrats have issued statements reacting to their losses.

Sen. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield, running for her first re-election bid, lost to retired veteran legislator Sandy Greiner in Iowa Senate District 45.

“It was a tough race,” said Schmitz. “We focused on the issues that I believe matter to Senate District 45 residents such as bringing good-paying jobs, restoring education funding for our K-12 schools and protecting our tax dollars. But the sweeping, anti-incumbent tidal wave this year was too much to overcome.”

Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth, lost to Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola, in her first re-election bid to the Iowa Senate.

“I’m proud of the work I did over the past four years,” said Appel. “I’ve enjoyed serving the communities of District 37 in the Iowa Senate very much, focusing on bringing good-paying jobs, education funding and initiatives to keep our kids and our communities safe. I’ll keep serving my community in whatever way I can and I want to thank my supporters and everyone who voted for participating in the political process and making their voices heard tonight.”

Appel was first elected to the Senate in 2006. District 37 encompasses Madison, Warren and southeast Dallas County. Prior to Appel’s election, Senate District 37 was represented by a Republican for nearly a decade.

Labels: 2010_election

Former governor and governor-elect Terry Branstad tonight paraphrased the famous words of Lou Gehrig, saying tonight he feels "like the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth" after Gov. Chet Culver called to concede to him.

"I can't tell you what an honor it is to be asked by Iowans to serve as their governor again," Branstad said. "And tonight I'm more excited about the job ahead than the very first time I stood before you on an election night."

About 200 GOP faithful chanted "Terry, Terry, Terry" with the song "Jump" playing in the background before Branstad made his comments.

"I want you to know I just visited with Governor Culver and he gratiously conceded the election," Branstad said. "I thanked him for his service and for the rigorous campaign that he ran. He is a true competitor."

Branstad said he knows he's set tough goals for himself, and said he's counting on Iowans to help him "complete this journey and remake our state."

"You may not always agree with eveyrhing I do, but I will always do my best," Branstad said. "I will always act with your best interests at heart. I will work tirelessly to right our ship of state. And we will do it with balancing our budgets with no frills, no gimmicks and no debt."

Labels: 2010_election

Dave Loebsack issued the following statement after winning re-election:

“We have many challenges that we must tackle as a state and as a country. That includes working to bring good-paying jobs and projects that boost economic development into the region. I am proud to represent the Second District of Iowa and am humbled by the voters’ decision to re-elect me. Tomorrow morning, I look forward to continuing my bipartisan work on behalf of Iowa families, small businesses, seniors, and farmers.”

Labels: 2010_election

There were hugs and a few tears in the Kinnick Suite as Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks conceded defeat to her opponent, incumbent Democrat Dave Loebsack.

"You got behind a candidate that you thought was the little engine that could," Miller-Meeks began, "but that little engine got stalled, there were too many hills in the way."

Miller-Meeks told the audience that she was glad that her candidacy did give Loebsack a scare, and will be much closer than her previous challenge attempt.

"Hopefully we made him nervous enough that he'll go back to Washington and represent us better," Miller-Meeks said to applause.

Miller-Meeks mentioned some issues that she hoped Loebsack would support would be the extension of the Bush tax cuts, opposition of cap and trade and health care that is people based rather than organization based.

Afterward, Miller-Meeks told IowaPolitics.com that she does not plan to run again, but she hopes her candidacy will inspire others to challenge Democratic control of the 2nd Congressional District.

"I'm hoping that people won't look at the numbers in the district and just write it off," Miller-Meeks said.

Miller-Meeks said her campaign thought the high youth turnout due to the 21-only bar issue in Iowa City may have negatively affected her chances.

"We were certainly concerned that that would affect turnout against us," she said.

Most of all, though, Miller-Meeks said she hopes her efforts will inspire future women candidates to give it a try to become Iowa's first representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"We won't break that glass ceiling if we don't keep trying," Miller-Meeks said.

A medium-sized crowd still remains in the press box and had some things to cheer about, as new Gov.-elect Terry Branstad began his victory speech.

Labels: 2010_election

Gov. Chet Culver delivered his concession speech moments ago at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, where a crowd cheered and cried.

Culver listed off a long line of his accomplishments as governor, including the lifting of a stem-cell research ban, which caused the audience to applaud. He spoke about bringing teacher pay to the national average, which caused a woman to yell, "Thank you!"

"We are very proud of our record," Culver said. "We've delivered on our promises."

Culver also discussed Iowa's progress in wind energy, and it's recent rating as the third best-run state in the United States.

"We have made these investments today that will bring us bright days tomorrow," Culver said.

His final words drew cheers from the crowd.

"Things will have a way of working out just fine. Iowa is the best state in America," Culver said.

Labels: 2010_election

Republican Gov.-elect Terry Branstad is now giving his victory speech at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines to a crowd shouting "Terry! Terry! Terry!"

Meanwhile, Gov. Chet Culver just wrapped up his concession speech at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

Election results show Branstad leads Culver, 52 to 44 percent, with 73 percent of precints reporting.

Meanwhile, in other statewide races, Democratic Secretary of State Michael Mauro is trailing his Republican opponent Matt Schultz of Council Bluffs, 49.2 to 47.6 percent, with 77 percent of precincts reporting.

Labels: 2010_election

U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell’s campaign manager, Grant Woodard, breathed a sigh of relief after winning a close race that his candidate had been trailing in just a couple months ago.

“It’s obviously very gratifying,” Woodard told IowaPolitics.com. “I was the congressman’s campaign manager two years ago. I have been working on this since the day after the last campaign. I feel bad because I have lots of friends working on campaigns around the country that may not be going so well, but I’m very pleased with ours.”

Woodard expressed that his campaign had to overcome some difficulties from the beginning because the Boswell camp was uncertain which Republican would make it through the primary. “Early on we were expecting Gibbons to win, but we decided we shouldn’t be calling it this early. Sen. Zaun has always run impressive state Senate campaigns that have certainly surprised some people in Polk County. It was a tough race,” he said.

Labels: 2010_election

At least three key Senate Democrats appear to have lost their bid for re-election tonight, while Republicans were leading or have won eight of 10 toss-up races in the Iowa House.

In the Iowa Senate:

* SD5: Republican Robert Bacon is leading Sen. Rich Olive, D-Story City, chair of the Legislature's Government Oversight Committee, by a vote of 52 to 48 percent, with 53 percent of precincts reporting.

* SD37: Rep. Kent Sorenson has upset Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth, chairwoman of the Senate State Government Committee, by a vote of 57 to 42 percent with 79 percent of precincts reporting.

* SD45: Former Rep. Sandy Greiner has upset Sen. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield, chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, by a vote of 48 to 46 percent with 68 percent of precincts reporting.

In the Iowa House:

* HD9: Former Senate Majority Leader Stewart Iverson, R-Clarion, has defeated Rep. McKinley Bailey, D-Webster City, 53.5 to 46.5 percent, with 92 percent of precincts reporting.

* HD14: Republican Josh Byrnes has defeated Democrat Kurt Meyer, 60 to 40 percent, in this seat left open by Rep. Mark Kuh, D-Charles City.

* HD18: Rep. Andrew Wenthe, D-Hawkeye, appears to have won re-election. He's leading 51 to 48 percent with 86 percent of precincts reporting.

* HD20: Republican Walt Rogers appears to have upset Rep. Doris Kelley, D-Waterloo, one of six House Democrats who voted against prevailing wage last year. The vote for Rogers is 53 to 47 percent with 86 percent of precincts reporting.

* HD24: Rep. Roger Thomas, D-Elkader, appears to have won re-election over Republican Micahel Breitbach, 50.7 to 49.2 percent with 92 percent of precincts reporting.

* HD74: Republican Glen Massie defeated Democrat Scott Ourth, 53 to 47 percent, with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

*HD75: Republican Guy Vander Linden defeated Rep. Eric Palmer, D-Oskaloosa, 52 to 48 percent, with all precincts reporting.

* HD84: Republican Ross Paustian defeated Democrat Sheri Carnahan, 57 to 43 percent, with all precincts reporting.

* HD95: Republican Joel Fry was leading Rep. Michael Reasoner, D-Creston, 59 to 40 percent, with only 15 percent of precincts reporting.

*HD99: Republican Mary Ann Hanusa defeated Democrat Kurt Hubler, 55 to 45 percent, with all precincts reporting.

Labels: 2010_election

Gov. Chet Culver is now giving his concession speech at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

Election results show Terry Branstad leads Culver, 52 to 44 percent, with 73 percent of precints reporting.

Labels: 2010_election

The Associated Press has declared Republican Terry Branstad the winner in the race for governor.

Labels: 2010_election

With just over half the precincts reporting, nearly 64 percent of the public supports the Natural Resources Fund ballot measure.

“We feel good, I think it’s a really strong showing for such grassroots coalitions spread out over the state,” said Mark Langgin, campaign manager for Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy, who spent a year and a half campaigning for the fund.

“This is a pretty strong symbol to the Legislature that this is important to Iowans,” Langgin said while he and 50 other supporters gathered at the Marriot in Des Moines tonight and watched the results come in.

“It’s been a long process. Everybody’s very excited,” Langgin said. “This is the largest conservation ballot measure in the country right now.”

Labels: 2010_election

Republican Party of Iowa spokeswoman Danielle Plogmann has confirmed that Gov. Chet Culver just called to concede to former Gov. Terry Branstad.

The Associated Press has also declared Branstad the winner.

The Iowa secretary of state's website shows Branstad leading Culver, 52 percent to 44 percent, with 1301 of 1774 precincts reporting.

Plogmann said Branstad will make remarks at GOP election night headquarters in about 10 minutes.

Labels: 2010_election

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey tonight thanked supporters for helping him win re-election against Democrat Francis Thicke. But Northey drew the greatest applause when he called for another celebration in a few minutes for former Gov. Terry Branstad.

"I'm so excited for the agriculture that we have in this state, the chance to be able to work with our great farmers and our great agriculture, all the Republicans we are going to elect tonight and especially looking forward to Governor Branstad as our governor," Northey said.

Labels: 2010_election

With over half the precincts reporting, the constitutional convention ballot initiative will likely fail with over two-thirds of the voters rejecting the measure. Call the Convention president Nathan Tucker and his group hoped voters would pass the measure for the first time since 1920, but instead the group admitted defeat early in the evening.

“People were hesitant,” Tucker said. “Voters, I don’t think, were educated enough about this option.”

“A lot of things crowded out this issue - primarily the retention vote, so the attention of voters were elsewhere. Perhaps if this was a different year we would have had a better chance,” he said.

Tucker said he was not surprised about the measure failing, but had hoped it would be a closer margin, possibly within 20 points. The difference between the “yes” and “no” votes has held at over 30 percentage points tonight.

Labels: 2010_election

Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate Brad Zaun is giving his concession speech at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston.

Zaun said he has congratulated U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, on his win tonight.

"I ran my race with dignity," he told supporters.

Zaun said it's unfortunate that the race involved such negative personal attacks. He said he got outspent but he didn't get outworked.

"It wasn't in God's plan for me to be in the United States Congress, but I am in the Iowa Senate and I look so forward to working with Governor Branstad," he said.

While standing at the podium, Zaun just gave his wife a bouquet of red roses and a big kiss, saying it was the first thing he was going to do whether he won or lost. The gesture received warm applause by the group of supporters. His wife and children joined him on stage as he teared up during his speech.

Zaun said he has no regrets about running for Congress, but said he wouldn’t do it again.

“I probably wouldn’t do it again considering all the negative attacks, it has been really hard on my wife and family. “

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, has begun giving his victory speech at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

Labels: 2010_election

Democratic supporters at in Des Moines reacted with shock to see that Secretary of State Michael Mauro is trailing his Republican opponent.

Overall the mood is very positive as the Democratic faithful are happy to see wins from U.S. Rep. Braley, U.S. Rep. Loebsack and U.S. Rep. Boswell.

Early judge retention numbers have also drawn large applause from the crowd.

Labels: 2010_election

The "no" votes are winning in the retention vote for three Iowa Supreme Court justices, with 61 percent of precincts reporting.

So far, 53 percent have voted "no" on retaining Iowa Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, while 47 percent voted "yes," according to the Iowa secretary of state's website.

Likewise, the "no" vote is leading on the retention of Justice Michael Streit, 53 to 47 percent.

And for Justice David Baker, the "no's" are leading 53 to 47 percent.

Meanwhile, Iowans appear to have rejected a constitutional convention by a vote of 67 to 33 percent, with 61 percent of precincts reporting.

And it appears that Iowans will approve a constitutionally protected natural resources trust fund -- it's leading by a vote of 64 to 36 percent.

Labels: 2010_election

After an early victory speech by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley things have died down at GOP election night headquarters in West Des Moines.

The crowd and the press are in "wait-and-see" mode, as statewide races involving former Gov. Terry Branstad, secretary of state candidate Matt Schultz, state treasurer candidate Dave Jamison and attorney general candidate Brenna Findley are too close to call yet.

The Iowa secretary of state's website has Branstad ahead at this point and Schultz, Jamison and Findley trailing, although results are still coming in. Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey and Republican State Auditor Dave Vaudt look poised to win re-election, but nearly 700 of 1,774 precincts have yet to report.

Labels: 2010_election

The Associated Press is reporting that Republicans will pick up at least six seats in the Iowa Senate tonight.

Democrats currently control the Senate, 32-18. A six-seat pickup would put Republicans at 24. Two more would be needed to switch control.

It's too soon to tell whether control of the Iowa House will be switching tonight.

Among key House races, former Senate Majority Leader Stewart Iverson is leading Rep. McKinley Bailey, D-Webster City, 51 to 49 percent.

Labels: 2010_election

U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, and U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames, have been projected the winners in the 5th and 4th congressional districts.

Labels: 2010_election

Former Gov. Terry Branstad has now taken the lead in the close race for governor, with 31 percent of the precincts reporting.

Branstad is leading 49 to 47 percent, according to the Iowa secretary of state's website.

Other statewide races are also close:

* Republican State Auditor David Vaudt is leading Democratic state auditor candidate Jon Murphy, 53 to 47 percent.

* Democratic Secretary of State Michael Mauro leads Republican challenger Matt Schultz, 52 to 45 percent.

* Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller leads Republican challenger Brenna Findley, 60 to 40 percent.

* Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey leads Democratic challenger Francis Thicke, 59 to 41 percent.

* State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald leads Republican challenger Dave Jamison, 57 to 42 percent.

Labels: 2010_election

The Zaun supporters who came out tonight to Stoney Creek Inn are beginning to leave the Zaun election watch party.

Supporters are not as optimistic and excited as they were before the polls closed.

“I am disappointed in the polls. Brad Zaun would have been a refreshing change in Washington,” said Randy Studer of West Des Moines, “Brad would have offered possible change ... politicians are afraid to do what is better for the people at large because they are worried about their re-election.”

Labels: 2010_election

Roxanne Conlin remained humorous in her concession speech, noting that she had learned much during her campaign including how to eat unidentified food and how to put on mascara in a moving vehicle without poking her eye out. Three of her four sisters joined her on the stage.

"I'm proud of them, proud of us and the campaign we ran," Conlin said. "We stood strong. We cared about the people."

The audience wore mixed expressions of smiles and blank stares. When Conlin mentioned young women and girls seeing a woman running for high office, the room erupted into cheers.

"We love you Roxanne!" an audience member shouted.

"Thank you — I love you too!" she replied.

She remained upbeat throughout the speech.

"I don't want you to be sad about the outcome," Conlin said. "Being first runner-up again is not very satisfying."

She finished her speech with words from Ted Kennedy. "The hope still lives, and the dream will never die."

Labels: 2010_election

Floods of supporters finally arrived in the last 30 minutes. There was a loud cheer as NBC 13 flashed a live video from the Hotel Fort Des Moines. The crowd seems largely unaware that the Associated Press has called the U.S. Senate race for the incumbent, Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Bob Krause was Roxanne Conlin’s opponent in the Democratic primary, but he was in attendance in support of his former rival.

“I thought that Roxanne ran a strong race, but it was obvious that she got badly outspent. The national trend probably set the stage for her. We’re still friends and she’s got a future in Iowa politics if she still wants it. She’s got a following and she’s done a lot for the women’s movement that will be remembered for years,” Krause said.

Conlin supporter, Bonnie Thorn of Des Moines, was especially disappointed in the result and what it means for women in Iowa politics – a group that has never represented Iowa in Congress.

“I feel very bad about the result. I was a Roxanne supporter from the beginning and was when she ran for governor many years ago. I was hoping that this was going to be the year for us (women),” Thorn said.

Krause blamed Conlin’s defeat on a lack of focus on jobs from national Democrats. “The message starts at the very top. If the focus had been on jobs a year ago or a year-and-a-half ago, it would have been much easier to establish a jobs theme that would eclipse Grassley. But it didn’t happen at the top and it made it difficult for Roxanne to carry that message,” he said.

Labels: 2010_election

The Associated Press has called U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, the winner in the 3rd Congressional District race over Republican challenger Brad Zaun.

Labels: 2010_election

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, called tonight a great night for America and said the Republican Party is alive and well during a victory speech at GOP headquarters in West Des Moines.

"It's also a great night to send a message to Washington," Grassley said. "It's a message that rejects the extreme agenda that pushed America in the wrong direction and failed to listen to the grassroots. Now we learned from the grassroots that the best policy is the best politics. Tonight the American people showed unity in the support of common values."

Grassley said the federal government can't spend and tax its way into prosperity or promote economic growth by making government bigger.

"Now for a long time under this president and under four years of Democrat Congresses we've been on the fast track to the edge of financial disaster," Grassley said. "Now, after this message from this election, it will be a slow path back to fiscal sanity."

Grassley called the size of his victory humbling, and said Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin called to congratulate him just a few minutes ago.

"I assured her as I assured you now that I wiill work for all the people in Iowa in the next six years, not just for those who voted for me," Grassley said.

Grassley called tonight a reaction to the extreme policies of President Obama.

"He wanted to change America," Grassley said. "The country has rebelled against that in this election. So we're going to make sure that Washington's different and this great America is the same it's always been."

Labels: 2010_election

Ten minutes after the polls closed, 10 of the 1774 precincts reported on the judicial retention ballot issue. Initially, nearly 60 percent of the votes favored outing the justices.

“We need to keep in mind they’re just preliminary numbers,” Iowa for Freedom chairman Bob Vander Plaats said. “I do think it’s a good sign for us though that the numbers are in our favor.”

Vander Plaats was attending a watch party with a number of volunteers who urged a “no” vote on the retention issue. He said he believes the metro areas are reporting first, so the numbers would only get stronger as other areas reported.

“I think we’ll be real strong in the rural areas,” Vander Plaats said. “We’re having a real good time. A few of us are on pins and needles, but I think we’ll be alright.”

Ten minutes later, 60 precincts had reported and the balance had swung 30 percentage points in favor of retaining all three justices.

“I think there’s a lot of misinformation that has been pumped in the race from outside interest groups, but we’re confident Iowans will make the right decision tonight,” said Erin Seieler, a spokeswoman for Justice, Not Politics.

Justice, Not Politics is a non-partisan coalition co-chaired by former lt. governors Joy Corning, a Republican, and Sally Pederson, a Democrat. The coalition hopes voters will retain all three justices and also held a watch party tonight to watch the results roll in.

Labels: 2010_election

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley began giving his victory speech at 9:45 p.m. as Democratic challenger Roxanne Conlin simultaneously gave her concession speech on the other side of town.

"Tonight, the American people showed unity in the support of common values," Grassley said.

Meanwhile, Iowa's three Democratic congressmen were leading in their races.

* U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Waterloo, is leading 53 to 44 percent with 6 percent of precincts reporting.

* U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Mount Vernon, is leading 60 to 37 percent with 19 percent of precincts reporting.

* U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, is leading 54 to 44 percent with 49 percent of precincts reporting.

Labels: 2010_election

The Hotel Fort Des Moines filled up quickly as the polls closed, and the atmosphere became lighthearted as election results flashed over a large television screen.

Some supporters expressed disappointment with the news that Roxanne Conlin will not take a seat in the U.S. Senatel

"I'm sad," said Carolyn Jenison, executive director of One Iowa. "I look forward to a day when Iowa does elevate their female leaders to a great position."

Jessie Hill, a Drake college student, felt that Conlin could have offered a lot to Iowa.

"Their campaign has a lot of energy and it's just a shame Grassley has been able to continue as an incumbent," she said.

Labels: 2010_election

With cheers for Republican victories resounding outside, Mariannette Miller-Meeks said she's been only focused on the one race that counts.

"I've been completely focused on winning this race and representing the people of Iowa," Miller-Meeks said.

Besides baking three carrot cakes for her supporters -- win or lose -- Miller-Meeks said she has been keeping an eye on the Republican turnout of a few key counties — Linn, Des Moines and Lee County — in which she needs strong support in order to win.

Miller-Meeks said the news has been good, so far.

"We've heard that the turnout of the Republicans has been very good, and there may even be some turnout supression for the Democrats," Miller-Meeks said.

This healthy turnout may be part of the reason why Miller-Meeks says she is feeling much calmer and more optimistic compared to the last time she ran against Loebsack.

"We feel there is so much more positive energy on our side of the ticket," she said.

Miller-Meeks said this time around her campaign tried to learn from past failures, investing more resources in building grassroot and volunteer networks. She said also this campaign she has been able to campaign full time, allowing her to explore Johnson and Linn Counties more and to communicate with people on a one and one basis.

She said she has attempted to answer questions from her constituents, sometimes sending out e-mails at one or two in the morning, a gesture that she said mattered to voters.

"If you talk to people one on one they see you as a person, not a party," Miller-Meeks said. "If you will answer them at 1 or 2 a.m. in the morning, they think, 'I know what you will do for me in Congress.'"

If she is declare the winner later this evening, Miller-Meeks will be the first Iowan woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She says it is about time the glass ceiling for women comes a tumbling down.

"I think it's time that we walked on shattered glass," Miller-Meeks said.

Labels: 2010_election

Gov. Chet Culver is leading former Gov. Terry Branstad, 49 to 47 percent with 11 percent of precincts reporting. Fox News has called the race for Branstad, but no one else has done so.

Early results also show U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley leading Democratic challenger Roxanne Conlin, 58 to 41 percent, with 11 percent of precincts reporting. However, the Associated Press has already projected Grassley the winner.

U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell is leading Republican challenger Brad Zaun, 54 to 44 percent, with 49 percent of precincts reporting.

And Attorney General Tom Miller is leading Republican challenger Brenna Findley, 63 to 37 percent, with 10 percent of precincts reporting.

The race is close for judicial retention with just 9 percent of precincts reporting. Votes are currently in support of retaining Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, 51 to 49 percent; Justice Michael Streit, 52 to 48 percent; and David Baker, 52 to 48 percent.

Labels: 2010_election

The volume inside the ballroom of the Hotel Fort Des Moines has been growing steadily louder as more and more people trickle into the lighthearted atmosphere. Just outside the ballroom, however, a handful of Democratic supporters watch the news stations without making a sound.

Even the news of early voting in favor of the Democratic party fails to elicit much of a response.

"It may give us Democrats a false sense of optimism, since those are the ones that come in first," said Des Moines resident John Patton, discussing the 22,000 early Democratic votes in response to the 15,000 early Republican votes.

"I hope it holds," said Jerry Morrison, a Des Moines native, of the early lead. "This is an important election. If we lose it, we'll be in a world of hurt."

Labels: 2010_election

Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie was among the first supporters to arrive at the Democratic Party rally. He said that as mayor, he is most interested in the results in state legislative races and on the referendum on Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino.

Cownie said he supports the re-approval of the Altoona gaming facility. “In terms of gambling statewide, to me that’s a separate issue. When there’s gambling in the state of Iowa, I think Prairie Meadows has done a good job of getting money back to citizens and into programs and services that are important,” he said.

Cownie said he would not pick the gubernatorial race, but indicated that he has been happy with Gov. Chet Culver’s results for Des Moines.

“We’ve worked – the city has – quite closely with Governor Culver and with I-JOBS we’ve had a lot of flood stuff we’ve had to work on. A lot of people had their homes damaged, especially during the August event. And hundreds of people had to be moved around and a lot of homes needed to be bought out and the governor was very supportive in helping us in Congress and with the president in getting an emergency declaration here. I think in the midst of disaster, we’ve had a good response,” Cownie said.

Labels: 2010_election

The Associated Press has declared U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, the winner in Iowa's U.S. Senate race.

See a story on his win

Grassley, 76, who started his political career in 1958, will return to the U.S. Senate for a sixth term.

Grassley spokesman Eric Woolson called Grassley a "true Iowan" who had Iowans' interests at heart. "They know that he represents our priorities," Woolson said. "He has prevailed because they know he works for us."

UPDATE: See a statement on Graassley's from from the NRSC's John Cornyn.

Labels: 2010_election

About 250 supporters of Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate Brad Zaun have gathered at Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston tonight to support Zaun in his run for Congress.

People are starting to gather around the projector screen watching as results come in, anticipating a Zaun win.

Zaun says he feels good about how the polls will turn out.

He said he spent the day doing radio interviews, television interviews, and most of the day making phone calls.

Labels: 2010_election

It's 9 p.m. and polls are officially closed. Let the waiting begin ...

Labels: 2010_election

Republican election headquarters at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines is starting to fill up and the mood among GOP faithful is upbeat but anxious as polls close around the state.

About 200 people are now at the event, milling around TV monitors and bars and making predictions of who will win, which counties are seeing high or low turnout and what it all means for their candidates.

The program is expected to begin soon, and candidates will begin speaking soon after.

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Roxanne Conlin just arrived at the Hotel Fort Des Moines and made a beeline straight to the elevators.

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, his wife Ruth and an entourage of staffers followed shortly after but Harkin declined to comment on the races going on around the states until later in the evening.

Conlin and her fellow Democratic candidates are expected to watch the results come in privately and address supporters after results begin coming in at 9 p.m.

Labels: 2010_election

IOWA CITY -- The food is ready, the television is on and friends, family members and other supporters of Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Marianette Miller-Meeks are slowly starting to arrive at what will turn out to be her victory or concession party at the Paul W. Brechler Press Box at Kinnick Stadium.

Tracie Gibler, campaign manager for Miller-Meeks, said with polls still roughly 40 minutes from close, campaign workers are still feeling good about their chances in their effort to challenge incumbent second district U.S. Representative, Democrat Dave Loebsack.

"We're feeling very optimistic," Gibler said, adding that the campaign is receiving constant feedback from people in the field. "We're hearing from people who are talking to Democrats who they know and even those that they don't, and many of them are saying that it's time for somebody new, it's time for somebody with real solutions."

Gibler said the campaign is watching the results on the ground and will know much more in about an hour. She did reveal that there is one county in particular she is keeping an eye on where a high turnout would bode well for Miller-Meeks' chances, but she wanted to keep the identity of that county a secret for now.

"I'm keeping my cards close to my vest," Gibler said, laughing.

Miller-Meeks is set to arrive at the suite by 9 p.m.

Gibler said that set to attend the event with Miller-Meeks are her husband, her two children, as well as six of her seven siblings. She said other supporters may stop by, such as State Representative Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton, but this will depend on their schedules.

"We might have some drop-ins, but it will all depend. Obviously they have their own parties to go to as well," Gibler said.

Labels: 2010_election

Eric Woolson, who is working with both U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks, tonight said he believes both candidates will win.

"I don't want to sound overly confident obviously, but I think all indications is it's going to be a good night for Senator Grassley," Woolson said.

Woolson said in an anti-incumbent year Iowans have recognized the 30-year senator's hard work, and that's why he's maintained a comfortable lead over Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin.

Woolson will race to Iowa City to be with Miller-Meeks after Grassley makes his appearance here tonight, and he believes U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack's challenger will be the first woman to break the glass ceiling in Iowa.

"I think she is," Woolson said. "I really think she is."

Republican attorney general candidate Brenna Findley has also "run a textbook campaign," Woolson said, bringing the race to Attorney General Tom Miller and raising a lot of money.

CNN and Fox News are projecting that Republicans will take over the majority in the House of Representatives.

Labels: 2010_election

About 100 Republican faithful have turned out so far to the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines, hoping to join Republican candidates for a victory party tonight if all goes well for the party.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, attorney general candidate Brenna Findley, Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, state treasurer candidate Dave Jamison and others will be here tonight.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said candidates will make comments once election results roll in, hopefully between 10 and 11 p.m. But he noted that Branstad won the June 8 Republican primary by 9 points and that wasn't called until around 11 p.m.

"We would be ecstatic to win by 9 points but at this point we'd be glad to win by one point," Albrecht said. "All we need is 50 percent plus one, but if it's 50 percent plus one we could be here very late."

Labels: 2010_election

U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, has already arrived at the Hotel Fort Des Moines – site of tonight’s Iowa Democratic Party rally.

The seven-term congressman mingled in the lobby with campaign staff before retreating to the elevators for the time being.

Democratic Party employees are putting the final touches on the stage where Gov. Chet Culver, Boswell, Attorney General Tom Miller and U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin will speak tonight.

Labels: 2010_election

If Republicans take control of the Iowa House tonight, House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, will be looking for a new title.

"It's not a secret that if Republicans take control, I'll run for speaker," Paulsen said in an interview with IowaPolitics.com.

Paulsen said it appears that voter turnout is high in today's election, and that's good for Republicans. "I continue to be very optimistic," he said. "It will be a great night for Republicans in Iowa and across the country."

Paulsen declined to release results of polling done by House Republicans leading up to today, but said he's optimistic that Republicans will indeed take control of the lower chamber currently controlled 56-44 by Democrats.

"That's always been our goal, that's always been our objective," he said. "That's my expectation tonight."

Paulsen has orchestrated the attempt by Republicans to win control of the Iowa House. He has been getting up every morning and telling himself he's behind. But today is Election Day, and his goal of winning 51 seats appears within reach.

"That's the objective, to net plus seven," Paulsen said. "I've always gone into this with assumption that we will lose one of ours. That means we will have to pick up eight of theirs. To pick those eight up, we need to have two in play for each one we need to pick up."

Paulsen said a good candidate will still be the key factor in the outcome of each legislative race. But he said the national mood will also help Republicans this year. "I always believe that the larger, more significant of the two is the candidate," he said. "It's indisputable that it's both of those things."

Should Republicans take control, Paulsen said they will go to work on the things they campaigned on including a smaller, more efficient, more transparent government. He said the 15 percent reduction in state government proposed by former Gov. Terry Branstad is achievable.

He pointed to the half-billion dollars in savings already proposed by House Republicans as a good leaping off point, representing 10 percent of the state budget.

"We'll sit down and look for opportunities to save money," he said.

Should Republicans take the House but Democrats keep control of the Iowa Senate, that's something that Paulsen said he can "absolutely" work with. "That's not a scenario the Legislature hasn't been in before," he said. "We'll respond to whatever their [voters'] decision is by moving Iowa forward."

Labels: 2010_election

The leader of the effort to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices predicted victory tonight, while those on the other side of the issue appear less optimistic.

"We expect victory tonight," Iowa for Freedom State chair Bob Vander Plaats told IowaPolitics.com. "Iowans have been informed and I believe tonight they will stand up for liberty by voting not to retain activist justices."

Vander Plaats and his group have been outspoken against same-sex marriage and spent months urging voters to vote “no” on retaining the justices. Sunday’s Iowa Poll had voters leaning toward a “no” vote.

“The poll did not bode well for the Supreme Court justices up for retention,” said Norbert Kaut, director of Iowans for Fair and Impartial Courts. “But many Iowans know a lot more now about the role of the courts and the merit selection program, so in that respect that’s the silver lining in the process.”

Iowans for Fair and Impartial Courts is a nonprofit organization pushing to keep politics out of judicial system. The group is hoping for retention of all three justices.

“If the judges are voted off, I think the message that sends is rather murky,” Kaut said. “If the message is they want courts to take public opinion into decisions, that’s one way someone could read into it. But I don’t think that’s what anyone wants.”

Labels: 2010_election

Republican 3rd Congressional District candidate Brad Zaun today said he thinks the apparently higher than usual voter turnout will help him in his effort to unseat U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, given the anti-incumbent mood the nation seems to be in.

"Indications are that it's been a very high turnout and that plays well for me," Zaun said at his election headquarters in Urbandale this afternoon.

About 50 volunteers came to Zaun's campaign headquarters today to make last minute calls, something Zaun said he's been doing today and for the past week or so. His campaign identified undecided voters and he's been reaching out to those people.

Zaun said he thinks he'll need a strong showing in Polk County to be successful tonight. He said he feels good about more rural counties voting for him. "A lot of the votes come out of Polk County and we'll be keeping an eye on that," Zaun said.

Zaun's campaign has chairs in every precinct in the district and poll watchers making sure his supporters are getting out to vote.

Zaun today also expressed frustration with the negative attack ads Boswell has run against him during the campaign, but despite the ads he said he's feeling good about his chances of winning tonight.

"I'm a grassroots campaigner," Zaun said. "It's kind of been a David and Goliath campaign and every election I've been in I've always been outspent, never been outworked."

Zaun said Boswell sounded bitter in an interview with IowaPolitics.com on Monday. Boswell in that interview said Zaun is the weakest challenger he's ever faced and doesn't have concrete ideas to offer. But Zaun brushed those criticisms aside.

"It's been really unfortunate in regards to the attack ads that came after me," Zaun said. "Win, lose or draw, I can hold my head really high in regards to how I've run my campaign."

Zaun said no matter what happens tonight he will take some time off to be with his family. After that he will sit down with his advisers and figure out what the next step is.

Labels: 2010_election

Nathan Tucker, president of Call the Convention, urged a “yes” vote on the constitutional convention ballot issue earlier this fall, but as voters head to the polls he is less than optimistic about the outcome.

“Most polls have shown that it will probably fail,” Tucker said. “Who knows what voters will think when they go in and vote. They may not have made up their minds and they may not even vote on the issue.”

The last time Iowa voted “yes” on a constitutional convention was in 1920.

Labels: 2010_election

Mark Langgin and other volunteers are spending Election Day in calling centers trying to reach voters on their way to the polls and convince them to vote “yes” on the natural resources fund ballot measure.

“We have a number of volunteers spread out all over the state making sure people are informed about the issue,” Langgin said. “I think everybody is excited about the potential of soil conservation and water quality improvements. I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Laggin is the campaign manager for Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy. He said he was pleased with the volunteer response and happy to have the opportunity to work with a variety of groups including hunters and fisherman.

“You always wish you could have more resources to communicate with more people but we’ve had a really great response from all our coalition members.”

Passage of the Natural Resources and Outdoor Restoration Act by two consecutive sessions of the Iowa Legislature cleared the way for voters to decide today if they want to dedicate $150 million a year to natural resources.

But the new natural resources trust fund would only be filled if an affirmative popular vote this November is followed by state lawmakers approving an increase in the state sales tax. If they do, three-eighths of the money raised by a one-cent increase would go into the new trust fund account.

-- By Kate Baier

Labels: 2010_election

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn expressed confidence in a series of GOP victories today, saying Republicans have closed the gap in absentee voting and identifying a number of Iowa House districts where he believes that will give them an edge.

Strawn said early voting in House Districts 8, 9, 20, 80, 89 and 95 - seats currently held by Democrats - has favored the GOP.

Republicans are trailing Democrats by about 19,000 early votes this year, compared to about 93,000 in 2008 and about 34,000 in 2006. Strawn said when comparing 2006 totals to 2010, Republicans have seen a 75 percent increase in early voting compared to a 38 percent increase for Democrats.

Strawn said even though Democrats are still outpacing Republicans in early voting, he believes those early votes are from "high-propensity" voters and not from voters that wouldn't have voted anyway on Election Day.

"The real story will be those independent voters, who are they turning out for, who are they voting for, and the survey work we've done shows that they are in a much higher proportion turning out for Republican candidates at the top of the ticket," Strawn said.

Strawn said the party had identified that a Republican gubernatorial candidate would need an additional 100,000 votes in 2010 compared to 2006, and the party has been trying to target those independent and undecided voters as a result.

The party is now pushing for voters to not only re-elect U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, and former Gov. Terry Branstad, but to vote straight Republican down the entire ticket. Republicans released a web ad on Monday encouraging voters to do just that.

"Changing Culver isn't changing enough," Strawn said.

Strawn also touted that the party will have made 1.5 million live, volunteer voter contacts with Iowa voters by the end of today. Those are real people calling voters, not robocalls or anything else, he said.

Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald says residents are turning out to the polls at a heavier rate than they did in 2006.

“Our polling sites have been very busy this morning,” Fitzgerald said in a press release. “Candidates and the political parties are definitely getting their core supporters to our polling sites early today.”

As of 10 a.m., he said 18,969 voters had cast their ballots at the 183 polling locations in Polk County.

During the last gubernatorial election in 2006, Polk County had 147,601 voters cast ballots, including 30,197 that voted early.

Polk County has received just under 45,000 early votes for the 2010 election, with many still being delivered to the office by voters.

Labels: 2010_election

Nearly 400,000 Iowans had requested absentee ballots as of today and more have voted early this year than in the previous two midterm elections.

As of this morning, 398,996 Iowans had requested absentee ballots including 174,801 Democrats, 145,434 Republicans, 78,417 no party and 344 others, according to the latest numbers from the Iowa secretary of state's office.

Of those, a total of 349,216 or 87.5 percent of those who requested absentee ballots had voted and returned those ballots including 151,722 Democrats, 132,228 Republicans, 64,986 no party and 280 others.

That compares with the 242,385 Iowans who voted absentee in the 2006 general election, and the 242,357 who voted absentee in the 2002 general election.

Completed absentee ballots returned by mail had to be postmarked by Monday and must be received by the county auditor's office next week Monday, Nov. 8.

See the latest totals from the secretary of state's office

Labels: 2010_election

Polls opened statewide at 7 a.m. today and will close at 9 p.m. in today's general election.

Republican lieutenant governor nominee Kim Reynolds cast her vote at 7 a.m. this morning in Osceola, while former Gov. Terry Branstad and his wife followed suit at 7:30 a.m. in Ogden.

Branstad will spend the day today making get-out-the-vote calls, and will greet lunch-goers in the downtown Des Moines Kaleidoscope Mall skywalk cafeteria from 11 a.m. to noon.

Branstad, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and other Republican candidates will hold their election party at the Hy Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines starting at 7 p.m. tonight.

Meanwhile, First Lady Mari Culver will vote at 10 a.m. today at Plymouth Congregational Church and Gov. Chet Culver visits an AFSCME phone bank in Des Moines at 1:30 p.m. today to thank volunteers.

Democrats including Culver, U.S. Senate nominee Roxanne Conlin, U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell and Attorney General Tom Miler will party tonight at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

Labels: 2010_election

U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, on Monday called state Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, the weakest challenger he’s had in his eight campaigns for the U.S. House but still expects the race to be close tonight.

“I think in reality, he’s the weakest one that I would want to serve us in the Congress,” Boswell said in an interview with IowaPolitics.com. “As I look at the others, he has the least to offer except talk. …He knows how to campaign but not much more beyond that.”

Boswell said it seems like Zaun has picked up on the attitude of the country and is smart enough to figure out that this is a time to try to run for Congress. “Everybody’s upset and this is the time to be an opportunist,” Boswell said. “As far as having something concrete of what he would do, he’s kind of taking the playbook of [U.S. House Republican leaders].”

The Democratic congressman again defended his slew of negative ads against Zaun, saying that the Urbandale Republican often just said what people wanted to hear. Boswell said the more he learned about Zaun, the more he was taken back. “This guy, people don’t know who he really is, so I’ve got to define him in this campaign,” he said.

But Robert Haus, spokesman for the Zaun campaign, said Zaun is an accomplished former mayor and state senator and his campaign has been about lowering taxes, reforming health care and getting Iowans back to work. He also said Boswell never told voters what he wants to do in the next two years that he hasn't had the chance to do in the last 14.

"Congressman Boswell is choosing to end the campaign the way he's run this entire race, with arrogant, negative, personal attacks against Brad Zaun," Haus said. "In fact, Boswell has run the most vicious and personal campaign this state has ever seen. And it's backfired miserably."

Boswell said Monday he felt optimistic and good about the race. He said he felt voters were “catching on to what’s going on, and I have a great confidence they’ll do the right thing.”

A poll last week showed Boswell 12 points ahead of Zaun. “I take all polls with a grain of salt; that’s kind of a snapshot at that point in time,” Boswell said. “It was encouraging, but I take more satisfaction in being out as I have been every day, talking to the people and listening to what they’ve got to say.”

Listen to interview with Boswell:
http://www.iowapolitics.com/1009/101101Boswell.mp3

Labels: 2010_election

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin said she’ll see Tuesday whether she’ll succeed in becoming Iowa’s first congresswoman.

“I’ve been talking about Iowa’s lack of progress on electing women to public office for about 40 years now,” Conlin said Monday in an interview with IowaPolitics.com. “Hopefully tomorrow will be the end of that particular unfortunate distinction that we have.”

Iowa is one of only two states that has not elected a woman as governor or to Congress. This is the second time that Conlin has been the Democratic nominee for one of the state’s top offices. In 1982, she was the Democratic nominee for governor.

“We’ll see tomorrow if my timing is off,” Conlin said Monday. “You do what seems right at the time, and timing seemed right at the time and we’ll see whether or not it is the right time.”

Should Conlin not win tonight, the Des Moines attorney hasn’t yet explored whether she’d seek political office again in the future. “I haven’t really looked that far ahead,” she said. “But as you mentioned, I have a very satisfying life. I have a wonderful husband of 46 years who’s very funny, four grown-up kids and five wonderful grandchildren and a career that I absolutely love that’s very satisfying and lets me make a difference in the lives of individuals.”

Conlin did not close her law office while campaigning this year. In fact, she said she’s been practicing law after midnight and received four or five calls Monday from clients seeking her help. She does not have any other attorneys working for her, but said there’s often co-counsel in many cases she’s working on.

Conlin said she would have made the same decision to run for U.S. Senate this year even if she had known in advance about everything she knows now.

“When we started out, we had a different view of the world than what has come to pass. Certainly, we didn’t expect the kind of anti-Democrats feeling that seems to be afoot,” Conlin said. “Even had I known all that would happen, I would have made the decision. I’ve really had a good time.”

Conlin decided to get into the race after she heard U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, comment about how health care should make people afraid that somebody is going to “pull the plug on grandma.”

“Well, I thought, somebody’s got to take that guy out,” Conlin said. “Turns out it was me and I’m happy with the race that we’ve run. We have acted completely in accord with high principles of responsibility. We’ve focused on the issues. We have not done any personal negative effort against Senator Grassley.”

The latest poll shows Conlin 31 points behind Grassley, and Conlin said she has not conducted any internal polls because she’s instead spent her money on TV ads. But she maintained Monday that she can still pull out a win.

“I think that everything rests on turnout and we’ve done so well in the absentee ballots that victory is not impossible,” Conlin said. “I’ve been around a really long time … but I’ve seen the polls. I’ve seen predictions. I’ve seen pundits saying who has a chance and who doesn’t. But ultimately, it’s the people who decide.”

Conlin said with the enthusiasm she’s seen across the state, “we just don’t see the gap that people are talking about and we’re heartened by it and we sure do feel like if Democrats get out to vote, we can win.”

Conlin stands by her decisions to loan her own campaign $1 million, and to not accept campaign money from federal lobbyists or political action committees.

“I made a personal, ethical decision that I’m very satisfied with,” Conlin said of not accepting PAC and lobbyist money. “I knew it would cost, but not as much as it did. And a lot of people, including Senator Harkin, thought that it would be better if I made a different decision. But it was my decision and it was one I felt strongly about.”

Conlin said she feels the connection between corporate special interest money and the agenda in Washington needs to be broken. “Why would I run for office without trying my best in my own way to try to do that,” she said. “I couldn’t have made any different decision based on my principles.”

The Des Moines attorney has also loaned her own campaign $1 million.

“I think that my children may have a different view of this, but I believe in myself and I believe in the principles that I stand for and I believe that what I want to do is better for the people that I care about than what Senator Grassley has done and will continue to do,” Conlin said. “So I was willing to put up my own money.”

Listen to interview with Conlin:
http://www.iowapolitics.com/1009/101101Conlin.mp3

See new photos of Conlin, Boswell, Culver from whistle-stop train tour:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowapolitics/sets/72157625293476412/show/

Labels: 2010_election

A new state law allows county auditors to run absentee ballots through a tabulator today but those results will not be printed from the machines or released prior to the polls closing Tuesday night, secretary of state spokesman Jarrett Schneider said today.

Labels: 2010_election

Gov. Chet Culver told IowaPolitics.com today he doesn't have a single regret about his first term as governor or his 2010 re-election campaign, said admitting to people that he's made his fair share of mistakes "worked totally," and said he's not discouraged by the polls because he's doing exactly what it takes to win Tuesday's election.

"I mean, how many times do we have to look at polls to learn that they can be wrong often," Culver said an an interview with IowaPolitics.com aboard a whistle-stop train tour, one day before the election. "The Republican primary poll was off by 20 points just three months ago. So what I wonder is why people put so much stock in 'em."

Results of the Iowa Poll released Sunday showed former Gov. Terry Branstad leading Culver by 12 points, while Culver's internal poll last week showed him trailing by just 6 points.

"What our polling is showing is he's stuck on 46, that he's dropped from 52 to 46," Culver said, "That we've gone from 33 into the 40s. That's exactly the kind of trajectory you want to see. And the fact that he's dropped and we're moving means that our message is getting out."

Culver said it's premature for anyone to know what's going to happen on Tuesday. He said he's fighting to win this thing and has no regrets. "Not one," he said. "There are only two governors that have done better than me. We have the third best-run state. We have the eighth lowest unemployment, 30 percent below the national average. We're America's leader on my watch in renewable energy."

In August at the Iowa State Fair, Culver openly said "we've made our fair share of mistakes" and then touted that same message in TV ads with Lt. Gov. Patty Judge. Culver has not used the message since then, but talked about it today with IowaPolitics.com.

"It worked, totally," Culver said. "People like it when you're honest, when you're humble, when you're straightforward. If people were upset about something that happened at the alcohol beverage department and they thought, like I did, that that director should have been fired and they're mad about it -- hey, blame me. But I dealt with it. ...Blame me for that mistake, but mistakes happen."

So-called "scandals" have been a key part of this year's gubernatorial campaign. Culver said Branstad has tried to suggest all sorts of things in regards to scandals in the Culver administration.

"He's got nothing," Culver said. "Tried to suggest there was an issue with the casino in Fort Dodge. Nothing. All this negative stuff -- the film office, we dealt with it. I was right to shut it down. Where's the story about that was the right thing to do? People questioned whether or not I should do it. That decision was reaffirmed last week."

In contrast, Culver again asserted that Branstad had 20 separate scandals during his 16 years as governor.

Listen to interview with Culver:
http://www.iowapolitics.com/1009/101101Culver_Interview.mp3

Labels: 2010_election

The campaign for former Gov. Terry Branstad has made over a million voter contacts throughout the course of its campaign and is reaching out to thousands more in the closing hours before the election, campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht said today.

"Today we have scores of volunteers working the phones, working the doors, getting out the vote and our tour has been very successful in motivating supporters and bringing new voters into the fold," Albrecht said.

Branstad and running mate Kim Reynolds are flying throughout the state today and have made stops in Ames, Clear Lake, Waterloo, Dubuque, Davenport and Cedar Rapids. The campaign will wrap up its weeklong, 36-city "Road to Victory" tour tonight at 6 p.m. at Branstad campaign headquarters in Urbandale.

"They've crammed into airport hangars and board rooms, they're hungry for a new beginning for Iowa," Albrecht said of supporters today. "They're hungry for us to change course and they've just been absolutely enthusiastic and have come from miles around to see this team and this ticket one more time before they are launched to victory."

Albrecht said the campaign is confident that Iowans will "choose a new path tomorrow, a positive path and a new vision for Iowa that will be successful in contrast to the last four years."

Labels: 2010_election

Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

Labels: 2010_election

---

IOWA CITY -- During his turn addressing the crowd, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack said he’s looking forward to returning to Washington, D.C. for his third term. He touted his work for education, asked people for their votes and indirectly criticized his opponent and Republicans as wanting to privatize Social Security and raise the Medicare age to 67.

“The fact of the matter is, if we didn’t have the educational policies that I’ve helped adopt the last four years, this country would be far worse off, folks,” Loebsack said. “We wouldn’t have people getting retrained to go back to work after they’ve been laid off during this recession.”

Loebsack urged the crowd to help get out the vote. “Here’s the deal: we need your help tomorrow,” he said. “Up and down the ticket, we need your help, OK. So make sure that you go today, go and call as many people as you can. Knock on as man doors as you possibly can. Talk to your relatives and your friends who have not voted and not helped. We need your help up and down the ticket. We’re going to make sure that we bring this home tomorrow, up and down the ticket.”

There was ample touting of Democratic successes and criticism of Republicans from the other Democratic candidates, as well:

* “We can do this,” U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin said. “We know the votes are there. We know there are enough votes for us to win.”

Conlin said Democrats are the ones who care about Main Street and criticized U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-New Hartford, as losing touch with Iowa after 52 years in public office, 35 years in Washington,D.C. and 30 years in the U.S. Senate.

“If you want more unemployment, vote for Chuck Grassley. If you want more deregulation, vote for Chuck Grassley. If you want more tax cuts for the very wealthy and more tax breaks for people who send your jobs overseas, Chuck Grassley is your guy,” Conlin said. “But if you want jobs, jobs, jobs, vote for me!”

* State auditor candidate Jon Murphy called state Auditor David Vaudt “the most political state auditor this state has ever seen,” and criticized Vaudt as not doing his job. “Tomorrow, will you help me fire David Vaudt?” he asked the crowd. “A guy who doesn’t do his job gets fired.”

Supporters in the crowd were confident of Democratic wins on Tuesday.

Anna Johnson, 22, of Iowa City, said she isn’t discouraged by the polls. “I’ve heard that in 1998, Governor Vilsack was also down in the polls and came back and won it. I’m sure Governor Culver will do the same,” she said. “I think that they’re the best thing for Iowans and Iowans know that. I think Iowans are smarter than the polls.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Cumming, and U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, joined the train tour two hours later at a stop in Marengo.

Labels: 2010_election

---

IOWA CITY – Undeterred by the polls and amid chants of “Four more years! Four more years!,” Iowa Democrats led by Gov. Chet Culver remained upbeat and optimistic the day before the election, touting their success in early voting and maintaining that they will win on Tuesday.

“This victory is in our hands,” Culver said at the Iowa City stop of the Main Street vs. Wall Street whistle-stop train tour across eastern Iowa. “All we need to do is get those absentee ballots picked up today. We’re going to have 200,000 absentee ballots in the bank before the polls open tomorrow!”

Culver said in 2006 when he won by 100,000 votes, Democrats had 120,000 absentee ballots.

“We have an 80,000 vote advantage before the polls open,” Culver said. “So I don’t want you to lose faith or confidence. We have got this election. We just need to turn ‘em out tomorrow.”

A group of about 75 Democratic faithful and about a dozen members of the media greeted the governor, First Lady Mari Culver, U.S. Senate candidate Roxanne Conlin, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky and state auditor candidate Jon Murphy at the Iowa City stop on a sunny fall day.

As he has done throughout the campaign, Culver emphasized moving forward with Democrats instead of backward with former Gov. Terry Branstad. He touted his record of a balanced budget, the state’s triple-A bond rating, $750 million in reserves and Iowa being the third-best run state in America.

“Results matter. Yes, voters are going to give us a second term because we’re getting the job done,” Culver said. “How about No. 1 for kids’ health care? How’s that, Terry? How about No. 1 for our veterans, the first state in America to pass the 10 recommendations from the Department of Defense to support our troops and our veterans and military families? Yes, results matter. That’s why we’re going to win. That’s why we’ve earned a second term, folks.”

Culver also asserted that in 1985, Iowa was ranked third-worst run state in America under the Branstad administration. “So I’ll give it to the voters when they go to the polls tomorrow: Would you rather have the third-best ranked state in America, or the third worst?”

Labels: 2010_election

Races in just 18 Iowa House districts could determine who controls the chamber after Nov. 2. Insiders think a number of incumbent Democrats could lose their seats this year, and races in many open seats will be close. Here is a list of potential bellwether races to watch:

---

Click here for IowaPolitics.com handicapping of all 100 House races

See below for IowaPolitics.com handicapping -- toss-ups and leaners

Labels: 2010_election

A number of contests in the Iowa Senate could also prove to be bellwether races. Insiders say the outcome of the race between Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth, and Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola, in particular could be a portent for races throughout the state. Here are five to watch closely:

SD 1: Republican Rick Bertrand against Democrat Rick Mullin for the seat left open by Sen. Steve Warnstadt, D-Sioux City.

SD 5: Sen. Rich Olive, D-Story City, against Republican Robert Bacon. Olive won by just 62 votes in 2006.

SD 9: Sen. Bill Heckroth, D-Waverly, against former 10-year Iowa House member Bill Dix.

SD 37: Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth against Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola.

SD 45: Sen. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield and longtime legislator Sandy Greiner.

---

IowaPolitics.com handicapping -- Senate races

Labels: 2010_election