Today's column - Senate District 34 Dramedy Continues to Unfold

(Today's print column, with some rehash for my tens of online readers)

My state Senate district craves attention.

Last fall, it was a high-stakes special election in then-Senate District 18. Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Cedar Rapids, fought off Republican Cindy Golding with control of the Senate up for grabs. Mathis built an insurmountable lead via absentee balloting and held on even as Golding won among votes cast on Election Day. Plenty of drama.

Now, thanks to redistricting, I and most of my fellow Marionites live in Senate District 34. So does Mathis, who is running this fall for a full term. I figured Republicans still eager to capture the Senate would put up a strong challenge in a district, where they hold a registration advantage over Democrats.

But, instead of strong, we get strange.

Randi Shannon, who originally didn't live in the district, was the lone GOP hopeful in June's primary and won the right to face Mathis. Then, earlier this month, she dropped out of the race to accept an appointment as U.S. senator for “The Republic of the United States of America.”

The “Republic” movement Shannon joined believes the federal government has been illegitimate since 1871, so members have formed a “legitimate” government in exile. Shannon was elected to the fake Senate by four guys from southeast Iowa who identify themselves as congressmen. They were elected by 50 other people in “The Assembly.” The rest of us, who normally get to vote on these things, are merely “chattel” of the illegal corporate government.

Shannon and "Congressman" George Templer explain the whole thing in an interview. Sort of:

Shannon also appeared on Mike Huckabee's radio show. "How does one go about declaring a different government?" Huckabee asked. Shannon explains that she won't comply with laws that are "unlawful." Huckabee wasn't buying it. "We may not like the law, may not agree with...but I think we have a representative form of government and we have to work within that and try to make it work."

We could spend days unraveling this nonsense. But, bottom line, it's bon voyage, Sen. Shannon.

Republicans will hold a district convention to pick a new candidate before Aug. 17. The state party hasn't picked a date. And my inquiries to the party about the timeline have gone unanswered. Perhaps they're all out begging for bucks.

So far, one candidate, Ryan Flood, says he'll run. He lives in Des Moines, served as a Polk County delegate to the state GOP convention, but he grew up in Marion and plans to move back. He worked for Ron Paul's campaign and then with Liberty for All, a libertarian PAC. According to campaign finance filings, he also chaired Shannon's campaign. That fact gives this voter cause to pause.

I called and emailed Flood to see if he shares Shannon's views, but I haven't received a response.

This saga has drawn chuckles, but as a resident of the district, it's become less and less of a knee-slapper. I like to have reasonable, responsible choices when I step into the voting booth. Democrats may be smirking, but I don't think it's good for any of us when disinterest and disarray conspire to deny us of those choices. Even if we are just corporate chattel.

There are nearly 14,000 Republicans in this district, including some of Iowa's fastest-growing communities. Surely someone who actually lives here now could run. It's a huge sacrifice, I know, but it's also an important job. Big tax, education and economic development issues will face the next Legislature, issues that promise to have a big impact on the future of my community and the state. So it would be nice to have at least two candidates ready for prime time.

Luckily, there's still time for Republicans to get it together.