2012 Issue 10
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2012 Issue #10 NOVEMBER 12, 2012 A publication of ID Action in partnership with Iowa’s DD Council ELECTION RESULTS Iowans like balance – at least that is what their votes tell us. Republicans kept control of the Iowa House, and Democrats kept control of the Iowa Senate. Both have only a few vote edge, so compromise will be required if anything is to get done. PAGE 3 Iowans Set Records on Election Day The Des Moines Register reported this week that Iowa may have been the only state in the nation to have better voter turnout this year than in 2008 (when President Obama was first elected President). More than 1.5 million Iowans voted on Tuesday, the highest rate of voting in 20 years. The high rate of voter turnout could have something to do with FACT: 72% of those registered to vote in Iowa’s early voting laws. Iowa Iowa voted in Tuesday’s Presidential allows voters to vote early, up to Election. That means seven out of 40 days before the election. every ten registered voters voted. FACT: 82% of Polk County’s registered Not all states have such a long voters voted this year, according to period of early voting. So that Polk County Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald. may be why nearly half of those voting this year did so before FACT: Nationally only 57% of those registered voted, according to the Election Day (either by voting in American University’s Center for the person at the county auditor’s Study of the American Electorate. office, at a satellite voting station, or at home with a mail- in ballot). “Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption.” James Garfield, 20th President of the United States 2012 Issue #10 NOVEMBER 12, 2012 YOUR VOTE is just the beginning! It may seem like the campaign season would never end, and your vote was the end of that very long process. While it is certainly the end of all the political commercials, your vote wasn’t the end. It’s really just the beginning. One Iowan put it best in a recent letter to the editor: No matter who is elected, it is our responsibility to make sure our representatives at the local, state, and federal level know what issues or legislation are important to us. If you do not let your elected officials know what matters to you, how then can they do their job, their job of representing you? So your vote is the beginning. Your job now is to make sure your elected officials know what issues matter to you, and how proposals they are considering will affect you, your business, your family and your community. If you don’t, then can you really complain about “politics as usual?” Each month we’ll give you a few ideas to get you started. 1 NOVEMBER ADVOCACY IDEA: For this month, introduce yourself to your newly elected officials. ☐ Send your State Senator & State Representative a note, congratulating them on their wins. ☐ In the note, introduce yourself & tell them what issues are important to you. ☐ Tell them how to contact you, ask them to put you on their mail or email lists, and ask them to let you know when they have local legislative forums . - 2 - - 2 - 1 2012 Issue #10 NOVEMBER 12, 2012 ELECTION RESULTS FEDERAL RESULTS: Voters Send Four STATE RESULTS: Split Control of Iowa of Iowa’s Five Congressman Back to DC Legislature Continues Iowa’s two US Senators didn’t face the voters this Before the election, Democrats controlled the Iowa year, but all of Iowa’s US Representatives did, and Senate with 26 seats. After the election, Democrats one won’t be returning to Washington DC next control the Iowa Senate with 26 seats. So the Senate year. Iowans voted to re-elect Representatives Democrats will stay the majority party – the party in Bruce Braley, Steve King, Tom Latham, and Dave control of the Iowa Senate. Loebsack. Representative Leonard Boswell lost his election. Before the election, Republicans controlled the Iowa House of Representatives with 60 seats. Republicans Because our population didn’t grow fast enough kept control of the Iowa House, but now they have over the last ten years, Iowa lost a congressional only a 53-seat majority. A smaller majority means seat, going from five US Representatives to four. Republicans will probably need to compromise more That forced two of Iowa’s US Representatives to to get things done. face off in this election – Rep. Tom Latham and Rep. Leonard Boswell. Latham beat Boswell with However, that number may change. One Polk 55% of the vote. County race is still too close to call at the time we went to press – Rep. Chris Hagenow beat Susan You can see who represents you in Congress on the Judkins by 29 votes on Election night. last page of this issue. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Iowans like balance. Just look at who is representing you: Washington, DC President – Democrat (Obama) Senate – 1 Democrat (Harkin); 1 Republican (grassley) House – 2 Democrats (Braley, Loebsack); 2 Republicans (Latham, King) Iowa Capitol Governor – Republican (Branstad) Senate – Democrat (26); Republican (23)* House – Republican (53); Democrat (47) *One seat will be decided in Dec. 11 special election - 3 - 23 2012 Issue #10 NOVEMBER 12, 2012 Election Results (continued from page 3) SD-23 Sen. Herman Quirmbach SD-24 Sen. Jerry Behn Election officials were still counting absentee ballots in SD-25 Sen. Bill Dix this race and there will likely be a recount if the vote SD-26 Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm remains close. SD-27 Sen. Amanda Ragan There were a couple other close votes this year (Rep. SD-28 Michael Breitbach John Wittneben lost by 57 votes and former Rep. John SD-29 Sen. Todd Bowman SD-30 Sen. Jeff Danielson Beard missed becoming a Senator by 37 votes). They SD-31 Sen. Bill Dotzler too may be recounted. SD-32 Sen. Brian Schoenjahn SD-33 Sen. Rob Hogg IOWA SENATE. Two State Senators were not re-elected SD-34 Sen. Liz Mathis – Sen. Shawn Hamerlinck (Scott County) and Sen. SD-35 Sen. Wally Horn Merlin Bartz (Worth County). Sen. Bartz was a member SD-36 Sen. Steve Sodders of the MH/DS Commission. Two State Representatives SD-37 Sen. Bob Dvorsky decided to run for the Iowa Senate (so they gave up SD-38 Sen. Tim Kapucian their House seats) – but only one (Rep. Janet Petersen) SD-39 Sen. Sandy Greiner was elected. Rep. Nate Willems lost. Former State SD-40 Ken Rozenboom SD-41 Sen. Mark Chelgren Representative John Beard also ran for Iowa Senate but SD-42 Rich Taylor was defeated. SD-43 Sen. Joe Bolkcom SD-44 Sen. Tom Courtney These are the Senators that will represent you in 2013: SD-45 Sen. Joe Seng SD stands for “Senate District” SD-46 Chris Brase Senators in italic didn’t have to run for re-election this year. SD-47 Sen. Roby Smith SD-48 Dan Zumbach SD-1 Sen. Dave Johnson SD-49 Rita Hart SD-2 Sen. Randy Feenstra SD-50 Sen. Pam Jochum SD-3 Sen. Bill Anderson SD-4 Dennis guth IOWA HOUSE. Six State Representatives lost their SD-5 Sen. Daryl Beall races and won’t be returning to the Capitol this year SD-6 Mark Segebart - Rep. John Wittneben (Emmett County), Rep. SD-7 Sen. Rick Bertrand Jeremy Taylor (Woodbury County), Rep. Bob Hager SD-8 Sen. Mike gronstal (Allamakee County), Rep. Ross Paustian (Scott SD-9 Sen. Nancy Boettger SD-10 Jake Chapman County), Rep. Nick Wagner (Linn County), and Rep. SD-11 Sen. Hubert Houser Renee Schulte (Linn County). Rep. Schulte was the SD-12 Sen. Joni Ernst primary author and lead sponsor of the Mental SD-13 Sen. Kent Sorenson Health and Disability Services Redesign, and an SD-14 Amy Sinclair Assistant Minority Leader. Rep. Wagner was vice- SD-15 Sen. Dennis Black chair of the powerful House Appropriations SD-16 Sen. Dick Dearden Committee last year (the committee that decides SD-17 Sen. Jack Hatch how much money will be spent and where it is SD-18 Janet Petersen (currently a Representative) spent) – and many thought he’d chair it in 2013. SD-19 Sen. Jack Whitver SD-20 Sen. Brad Zaun Former State Representatives Donovan Olson and SD-21 Sen. Matt McCoy Tom Schueller failed to make comebacks this year. SD-22 OPEN (Charles Schneider vs. Desmund Adams) CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 - 4 - 4675 2012 Issue #10 NOVEMBER 12, 2012 Election Results (continued from page 4) Two former Democratic State Senators ran for State Representative this year – one was elected (Frank Wood) and one lost (Bill Heckroth). Current State Senator Bob Bacon decided to run for State Representative this year, and was elected. Bobby Kaufman will take over the seat his father (Rep. Jeff Kaufman) retired from this year. Two kids of former legislators also ran this year – one won (Dan Lundby, son of former Sen. Mary Lundby) and one lost (Joe Judge, son of former Sen. John Judge and former Lt. gov. and Sen. Patti Judge). Two Dubuque County legislators got 100% of the vote (no one voted against them) – Rep. Chuck Isenhart and Nancy Dunkel. And an independent candidate came close to beating Rep. Dennis Cohoon, who won with 47% of the vote. These are the Representatives that will represent you in 2013: HD stands for “House District” HD-1 Rep.