Iowa State Senate elections, 2014

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2014 Competitiveness Overview
Primary competition (state comparison) ;
	Incumbents defeated • Victorious challengers •; Primary competitiveness
Major party challengers (state comparison)
	Candidates with no challenges at all in 2014
Open seats (state comparisons)
	Impact of term limits on # of open seats ; Long-serving senators • Long-serving reps
Chart Comparing 2014 Results
	Chart Comparing 2014 Results • Comparisons Between Years
Competitiveness Index • Absolute Index
	2014 State Legislative Elections; State legislative incumbent turnover in 2014
Competitiveness Studies from Other Years
	2007 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013

	2016 → ← 2012
	Iowa State Senate elections, 2014
	Majority control • Qualifications
	List of candidates District 1 • District 3 • District 5 • District 7 • District 9 • District 11 • District 13 • District 15 • District 17 • District 19 • District 21 • District 23 • District 25 • District 27 • District 29 • District 31 • District 33 • District 35 • District 37 • District 39 • District 41 • District 43 • District 45 • District 47 • District 49
	State Legislative Election Results
	Iowa State Senate • 2014 Iowa House Elections
	State legislative elections in 2014

The Iowa State Senate elections provided an opportunity for the Republican Party to make Iowa a trifecta, meaning complete control of the state government. Republicans controlled the governor's office and the State House, but not the State Senate.^[1] Democrats fended off the challenge and retained the Senate.

Iowa's senate elections attracted outside attention, including from potential 2016 presidential contender and Governor of Texas Rick Perry. Republican control of the upper house would have helped them to advance issues on their agenda, including eliminating a manufacturing tax and banning telemedicine abortions where rural women in the state can get access to abortion pills after approval from remote doctors through videoconference consultations.^[1]^[2]

The Democratic Party devoted resources to winning back the House of Representatives in Iowa. House Minority Leader Mark Smith said that the party was playing offense and that it had recruited candidates who fit the districts. He said the party's chances were bolstered because of unexpected Republican retirements and that the incumbents were a "vulnerable freshman class dominated by tea party members who have taken extreme positions." The Democrats also recruited more candidates for the House than the Republicans - 77 to their 69.^[1]^[3]

Speaker of the House Kraig Paulsen was optimistic that the Republicans would gain seats. He cited voter frustration with government in general and in Washington, and thank yous from voters for recent legislative accomplishments.^[3]

The Iowa Senate was one of 20 state legislative chambers noted by Ballotpedia staff as being a battleground. The Iowa Senate had a difference in partisan balance between Democrats and Republican of two seats, which amounted to 4 percent of the chamber. In 2012, when 26 seats were up for election, a total of 12 districts were competitive or mildly competitive. One of those districts, District 49, was up for election again in 2014. That district had a margin of victory of 9 percent in 2012. It did not change hands in 2014.

Half of the 50 seats in the chamber were up for election in 2014. In 12 of the contested seats, there was only one major party candidate running.

Elections for the Iowa State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 14, 2014.

Following the general election, there was no change to the majority control of the Iowa State Senate. Despite an opportunity for the Republican Party to make Iowa a trifecta, there was no change to the total seats held by each party. The Democratic Party maintained 26 seats, while the Republicans continued to hold 24.

Incumbents retiring

Five incumbents did not run for re-election in 2014. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Current Office
Nancy Boettger	Republican	Senate District 9
Hubert Houser	Republican	Senate District 11
Dennis Black	Democratic	Senate District 15
Jack Hatch	Democratic	Senate District 17
Sandra Greiner	Republican	Senate District 39

Majority control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates

Heading into the November 4 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the Iowa State Senate:

Iowa State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2014	After November 4, 2014
	Democratic Party	26	26
	Republican Party	24	24
Total		50	50

Qualifications

The Iowa Constitution states, "Senators shall be chosen for the term of four years, at the same time and place as representatives; they shall be twenty-five years of age, and possess the qualifications of representatives as to residence and citizenship."^[4]

Competitiveness

Candidates unopposed by a major party

In 12 of the 25 districts up for election in 2014, there was only one major party candidate running for election. A total of six Democrats and six Republicans were guaranteed election barring unforeseen circumstances.

Two major party candidates faced off in the general election in 13 of the 25 districts up for election.

Primary challenges

A total of four incumbents faced primary competition on June 3. Five incumbents did not seek re-election in 2014 and another 16 incumbents advanced past the primary without opposition. Every incumbent facing primary competition advanced past the June 3 primary. The state senators that faced primary competition were:

District 19: Incumbent Jack Whitver (R) defeated Brett H. Nelson in the Republican primary. No Democratic candidate filed to run.
District 23: Incumbent Herman C. Quirmbach (D) defeated Cynthia Oppedal Paschen in the Democratic primary.
District 35: Incumbent Wally E. Horn (D) defeated Lance Lefebure in the Democratic primary. No Republican candidate filed to run.
District 45: Incumbent Joe M. Seng (D) defeated Mark James Riley in the Democratic primary. No Republican candidate filed to run.

Retiring incumbents

Five incumbent senators did not run for re-election, while 20 (80.0%) ran for re-election. A list of those incumbents, two Democrats and three Republicans, can be found above.

Context

If the Republicans managed to gain control of the Iowa State Senate, it would have created a Republican trifecta for the first time since 1998. Democrats held control of the governorship and both legislative chambers from 2007 to 2010. Some believed that with full Republican control, new conservative policies such as tax cuts and restrictions on abortion may have been enforced.^[5]

Tim Storey, of the National Conference of State Legislatures, believed that Iowa's redistricting process is what made it a perennial battleground state. Storey said,

“	You cannot separate the Iowa form of redistricting from Iowa’s permanent status as a battleground for both legislative chambers. That’s the nature of Iowa.^[6]	”
—Tim Storey^[5]

Iowa uses a team of nonpartisan analysts with a computer program to draw its boundaries without regard to any statistic except population.^[5]

Former presidential candidate and current governor of Texas Rick Perry (R) helped raise money for some Republican candidates in mid-August. Perry spoke in support of Shawn Dietz, Crystal Bruntz and Michael D. Moore, all candidates in the Associated Press' list of races to watch. Some believed this was Perry's way of increasing his supporter base in Iowa for a rumored 2016 presidential run.^[2]

The Iowa State Senate was identified by Louis Jacobson of Governing magazine as one of 17 chambers that was "vulnerable to a change in control in November." Jacobson rated the state senate contest in Iowa as a "tossup." It was one of four state senates held by a Democratic Party majority that Jacobson rated as tossups; the others being Colorado, Nevada and New York.^[7]

Races to watch

The Associated Press identified the following as races to watch:^[8]

Democratic Incumbents

District 5 - Incumbent Daryl Beall (D) was defeated by Tim Kraayenbrink (R).
District 27 - Incumbent Amanda Ragan (D) defeated Shawn Dietz (R).
District 29 - Incumbent Tod R. Bowman (D) defeated James R. Budde (R).

Republican Incumbents

District 7 - Incumbent Rick Bertrand (R) defeated Jim France (D) and Maria Rundquist (I).
District 13 - Incumbent Julian B. Garrett (R) defeated Pam Deichmann (D). Garrett was elected in a 2013 special election.
District 41 - Incumbent Mark Chelgren (R) defeated Steve Siegel (D).

Open Seats

District 15 - Chaz Allen (D) defeated Crystal Bruntz (R).
District 39 - Kevin Kinney (D) defeated Michael D. Moore (R).

List of candidates

District 1

June 3 Democratic primary:

No candidates filed.

June 3 GOP primary:

David Johnson: 4,915 a - Incumbent Johnson first assumed office in 2003.

November 4 General election candidates:

David Johnson: 18,774

District 3

June 3 Democratic primary:

No candidates filed.

June 3 GOP primary:

Bill Anderson: 3,536 a - Incumbent Anderson first assumed office in 2011.

November 4 General election candidates:

Bill Anderson: 17,176

District 5

June 3 Democratic primary:

Daryl Beall: 1,317 a - Incumbent Beall first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

Tim Kraayenbrink: 2,770 a

November 4 General election candidates:

Daryl Beall: 9,801

Tim Kraayenbrink: 12,383

District 7

June 3 Democratic primary:

Jim France: 599 a
Maria Rundquist: 483

June 3 GOP primary:

Rick Bertrand: 2,117 a - Incumbent Bertrand first assumed office in 2011.

Independent candidates:

Maria Rundquist

November 4 General election candidates:

Jim France: 5,738

Rick Bertrand: 8,766

Maria Rundquist: 832

District 9

Note: Incumbent Nancy Boettger (R) did not run for re-election.

June 3 Democratic primary:

No candidates filed.

June 3 GOP primary:

Jason Schultz: 3,904 a

November 4 General election candidates:

Jason Schultz: 16,293

District 11

Note: Incumbent Hubert Houser (R) did not run for re-election.

June 3 Democratic primary:

No candidates filed.

June 3 GOP primary:

Art Hill: 1,135
Tom Shipley: 2,871 a

November 4 General election candidates:

Tom Shipley: 17,681

District 13

June 3 Democratic primary:

Pam Deichmann: 669 a

June 3 GOP primary:

Julian B. Garrett: 3,220 a - Incumbent Garrett first assumed office in 2013.

Libertarian Party candidates:

Clair Tom Thompson

November 4 General election candidates:

Pam Deichmann: 8,900

Julian B. Garrett: 15,326

Clair Tom Thompson: 893

District 15

Note: Incumbent Dennis Black (D) did not run for re-election.

June 3 Democratic primary:

Chaz Allen: 696 a

June 3 GOP primary:

Jeremy Filbert: 833
Crystal Bruntz: 1,771 a

November 4 General election candidates:

Chaz Allen: 13,307

Crystal Bruntz: 12,008

District 17

Note: Incumbent Jack Hatch (D) did not run for re-election.

June 3 Democratic primary:

Tony Bisignano: 1,443 a
Nathan Blake: 1,425
Ned F. Chiodo: 1,002

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

Independent candidates:

Jim Bollard

November 4 General election candidates:

Tony Bisignano: 10,548

Jonathan Lochman: 5,374

Jim Bollard: 978

Note: Lochman filed to run on July 25, 2014.

District 19

June 3 Democratic primary:

No candidates filed.

June 3 GOP primary:

Brett H. Nelson: 635
Jack Whitver: 2,362 a - Incumbent Whitver first assumed office in 2011.

Independent candidates:

Brett H. Nelson

November 4 General election candidates:

Jack Whitver: 16,742

Brett H. Nelson: 3,802

Note: Nelson filed to run as an Independent on August 13, 2014.

District 21

June 3 Democratic primary:

Matt McCoy: 1,081 a - Incumbent McCoy first assumed office in 1997.

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Matt McCoy: 17,851

District 23

June 3 Democratic primary:

Cynthia Oppedal Paschen: 598
Herman C. Quirmbach: 1,593 a - Incumbent Quirmbach first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

Jeremy Davis: 1,465 a

November 4 General election candidates:

Herman C. Quirmbach: 11,713

Jeremy Davis: 8,094

District 25

June 3 Democratic primary:

No candidates filed.

June 3 GOP primary:

Bill Dix: 3,482 a - Incumbent Dix first assumed office in 2011.

November 4 General election candidates:

Bill Dix: 18,267

District 27

June 3 Democratic primary:

Amanda Ragan: 981 a - Incumbent Ragan first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

Shawn Dietz: 1,938 a
Timothy Junker: 1,212

November 4 General election candidates:

Amanda Ragan: 12,898

Shawn Dietz: 10,012

District 29

June 3 Democratic primary:

Tod R. Bowman: 1,920 a - Incumbent Bowman first assumed office in 2011.

June 3 GOP primary:

James R. Budde: 1,262 a
James A. Heavens: 901

November 4 General election candidates:

Tod R. Bowman: 13,245

James R. Budde: 11,002

District 31

June 3 Democratic primary:

Bill Dotzler: 1,569 a - Incumbent Dotzler first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Bill Dotzler: 13,387

District 33

June 3 Democratic primary:

Robert M. Hogg: 3,754 a - Incumbent Hogg first assumed office in 2007.

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Robert M. Hogg: 14,430

Harry Foster: 8,932

Note: Foster filed to run on July 23, 2014.

District 35

June 3 Democratic primary:

Wally E. Horn: 1,644 a - Incumbent Horn first assumed office in 2003.
Lance Lefebure: 891

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Wally E. Horn: 15,671

District 37

June 3 Democratic primary:

Robert E. Dvorsky: 2,343 a - Incumbent Dvorsky first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Robert E. Dvorsky: 16,613

District 39

Note: Incumbent Sandra Greiner (R) did not run for re-election.

June 3 Democratic primary:

Richard Gilmore: 338
Kevin Kinney: 1,162 a

June 3 GOP primary:

November 4 General election candidates:

Kevin Kinney: 12,371

Michael D. Moore: 11,306

District 41

June 3 Democratic primary:

Tom Rubel: 883
Steve Siegel: 2,044 a

June 3 GOP primary:

Mark Chelgren: 2,388 a - Incumbent Chelgren first assumed office in 2011.

November 4 General election candidates:

Steve Siegel: 9,982

Mark Chelgren: 10,356

District 43

June 3 Democratic primary:

Joe Bolkcom: 3,663 a - Incumbent Bolkcom first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Joe Bolkcom: 18,000

District 45

June 3 Democratic primary:

Mark James Riley: 135
Joe M. Seng: 614 a - Incumbent Seng first assumed office in 2003.

June 3 GOP primary:

No candidates filed.

November 4 General election candidates:

Joe M. Seng: 13,013

District 47

June 3 Democratic primary:

Maria Bribriesco: 562 a

June 3 GOP primary:

Roby Smith: 2,626 a - Incumbent Smith first assumed office in 2011.

November 4 General election candidates:

Maria Bribriesco: 11,580

Roby Smith: 14,988

District 49

June 3 Democratic primary:

Rita Hart: 586 a - Incumbent Hart first assumed office in 2013.

June 3 GOP primary:

Brian Schmidt: 2,205 a

November 4 General election candidates:

Rita Hart: 11,690

Brian Schmidt: 10,808

External links

Suggest a link

Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 New York Times, "Midterms give parties chance for sweeping control of states," August 10, 2014
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 The Iowa Republican, "Perry working hard to elect Iowa Republicans," August 12th, 2014
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 SiouxCityJournal.com, "Iowa Democrats part of national effort to 'flip' House control," July 2, 2014
↑ Iowa Legislature, "Iowa Constitution"
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Omaha.com, "Iowa GOP faces challenges in trying to take full control of Statehouse," August 10, 2014
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Governing, "Democrats Playing Defense in 2014 State Legislative Races", June 23, 2014
↑ KWWL, "Key Iowa Senate races in upcoming general election," August 10, 2014

[show]

Current members of the Iowa State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Amy Sinclair

Minority Leader:Janice Weiner

Senators

District 1

Vacant

District 2

Jeff Taylor (R)

District 3

Lynn Evans (R)

District 4

Tim Kraayenbrink (R)

District 5

Dave Rowley (R)

District 6

Jason Schultz (R)

District 7

Kevin Alons (R)

District 8

Mark Costello (R)

District 9

Tom Shipley (R)

District 10

Dan Dawson (R)

District 11

Julian Garrett (R)

District 12

Amy Sinclair (R)

District 13

Cherielynn Westrich (R)

District 14

Sarah Trone Garriott (D)

District 15

Tony Bisignano (D)

District 16

Claire Celsi (D)

District 17

Izaah Knox (D)

District 18

Janet Petersen (D)

District 19

Ken Rozenboom (R)

District 20

Mike Pike (R)

District 21

Mike Bousselot (R)

District 22

Matt Blake (D)

District 23

Jack Whitver (R)

District 24

Jesse Green (R)

District 25

Herman Quirmbach (D)

District 26

Kara Warme (R)

District 27

Annette Sweeney (R)

District 28

Dennis Guth (R)

District 29

Sandy Salmon (R)

District 30

Doug Campbell (R)

District 31

William Dotzler (D)

District 32

Michael Klimesh (R)

District 33

Carrie Koelker (R)

District 34

Dan Zumbach (R)

District 35

Mike Zimmer (D)

District 36

Thomas Townsend (D)

District 37

Molly Donahue (D)

District 38

Dave Sires (R)

District 39

Liz Bennett (D)

District 40

Art Staed (D)

District 41

Kerry Gruenhagen (R)

District 42

Charlie McClintock (R)

District 43

Zach Wahls (D)

District 44

Adrian Dickey (R)

District 45

Janice Weiner (D)

District 46

Dawn Driscoll (R)

District 47

Scott Webster (R)

District 48

Mark Lofgren (R)

District 49

Cindy Winckler (D)

District 50

Jeffrey Reichman (R)

Republican Party (33)

Democratic Party (16)

Vacancies (1)

[times-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 New York Times, "Midterms give parties chance for sweeping control of states," August 10, 2014

[iowarep-2] 2.0 ^2.1 The Iowa Republican, "Perry working hard to elect Iowa Republicans," August 12th, 2014

[scj-3] 3.0 ^3.1 SiouxCityJournal.com, "Iowa Democrats part of national effort to 'flip' House control," July 2, 2014

[4] Iowa Legislature, "Iowa Constitution"

[omaha-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Omaha.com, "Iowa GOP faces challenges in trying to take full control of Statehouse," August 10, 2014

[quotedisclaimer-6] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[lj-7] Governing, "Democrats Playing Defense in 2014 State Legislative Races", June 23, 2014

[8] KWWL, "Key Iowa Senate races in upcoming general election," August 10, 2014

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Iowa State Senate elections, 2014

Incumbents retiring

Majority control

Qualifications

Competitiveness

Candidates unopposed by a major party

Primary challenges

Retiring incumbents

Context

Races to watch

List of candidates

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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