Few Democrats file for legislative seats that include Floyd County

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

There are no Democratic candidates in three of the Iowa House and Iowa Senate legislative districts that include Floyd County, but there are two or three Republican candidates vying for the nomination in both Iowa Senate districts.

Official filing for state and federal candidates ended Friday, setting the stage for primary elections in June and then the general election in November.

After redistricting last year following the 2020 U.S. Census, Floyd County was split into two Iowa House districts and two Iowa Senate districts. Most of the county is in Iowa House District 58, which also includes all of Chickasaw and part of Bremer counties.

Two townships on the northwest side of the county, Rock Grove and Rockford, which include the cities of Nora Springs and Rockford, are now part of Iowa House District 60, which includes all of Mitchell and Worth counties and the western half of Cerro Gordo County.

Incumbent Jame Bloomingdale of Northwood previously announced her candidacy and filed for the Republican nomination for House District 60. Battling her for the Republican nomination will be Deb Hild, of Clear Lake.

No one filed for the Democratic nomination in Iowa House 60.

Rep. Todd Prichard, a Democrat from Charles City, lives in what is now District 58, but he previously announced he would not run for another term and he did not file. No other person filed papers seeking the Democratic nomination for Iowa House District 58, either.

Three people are running for the Republican nomination for Iowa House District 58, including one from Floyd County.

The candidates are Charley Thomson, Charles City; Jim Wright, Sumner; and Sean T. Galleger, Fairbank. Although Galleger’s address is listed as Fairbank, which is not in House District 58, Gallager’s actual residence is in the southeast corner of Bremer County.

Iowa Senate District 30, which includes all of Mitchell, Worth and Cerro Gordo counties and the two Floyd County townships, is the only Floyd County House or Senate district where a Democrat has filed for the nomination.

Whitney Mixdorf of Clear Lake is seeking the Democratic nomination, to challenge incumbent Waylon Brown of Osage, a currently serving state senator who filed for the Republican nomination for the new District 30 that his residence is in.

In Iowa Senate District 29, one person, Sandy Salmon of Janesville, filed for the Republican nomination. No Democratic candidate filed in Senate District 29. No incumbent Iowa senator lives within the new district.

The state political parties can still approve candidates for legislative districts where no one filed by convening the party precinct committee members whose precincts lie within the senatorial or representative district involved.

Here are the candidates for Floyd County Legislative Districts in the June 7 primary election. Incumbents are listed with (i):

State Senate District 29 

• Republican: Sandy Salmon, Janesville.
• Democrat: No candidate.

State Senate District 30

• Republican: Waylon Brown (i), Osage.
• Democrat: Whitney Mixdorf, Clear Lake.

State House District 58

• Republican: Sean T. Galleger, Fairbank; Charley Thomson, Charles City; and Jim Wright, Sumner.
• Democrat: No candidate.

State House District 60

• Republican: Jane Bloomingdale (i), Northwood; and Deb Hild, Clear Lake.
• Democrat: No candidate.

In addition to the area legislative districts, statewide and federal candidates for political party nominations also had to file by Friday, March 18.

The candidates are:

Governor

• Republican: Kim Reynolds (i), Des Moines.
• Democrat: Deidre DeJear, Des Moines.

Secretary of State

• Republican: Paul D. Pate (i), Des Moines.
• Democrat: Joel Miller, Robins; and Eric Van Lancker, Clinton.

Auditor of State

• Republican: Todd Halbur, Clive; and Mary Ann Hanusa, Council Bluffs.
• Democrat: Rob Sand (i), Des Moines.

Treasurer of State

• Republican: Roby Smith, Davenport.
• Democrat: Michael L. Fitzgerald (i), Carlisle.

Secretary of Agriculture

• Republican Mike Naig (i), Des Moines.
• Democrat: John Norwood, West Des Moines.

Attorney General

• Republican: Brenna Bird, Dexter.
• Democrat: Tom Miller (i), Des Moines.

U.S. House District 2:

• Republican Ashley Hinson (i), Marion.
• Democrat: Liz Mathis, Hiawatha.

U.S. Senate

• Republican: Jim Carlin, Sioux City; and Chuck Grassley (i), Cedar Falls.
• Democrat: Abby Finkenauer, Cedar Rapids; Michael Franken, Des Moines; and Glenn Hurst, Minden.