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Capitol Notebook: Governor sets date for Iowa Senate District 35 special election
Also, ‘sweepstakes scam’ almost bilks Iowan out of $16K
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DES MOINES — Voters in parts of Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties will vote Jan. 28 in a special election for new state senator, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Monday.
The former senator for District 35, Chris Cournoyer, a Republican from LeClaire, was sworn in a week ago as the state's new lieutenant governor. Cournoyer resigned her Iowa Senate seat at the time, leaving it up to the governor to schedule a special election.
Candidates wanting to run for the seat have until Jan. 14 to file their paperwork, Iowa Secretary of State spokesperson Ashley Hunt Esquivel wrote in an email. Candidates may be nominated by a special convention of a political party or collect signatures and file as a no-party candidate.
Already, at least one person has announced an intention to run for the seat. Mike Zimmer, president of the Central DeWitt School Board, announced he plans to seek the Democratic nomination. Zimmer, a father of five, pledged to champion Eastern Iowa’s public schools.
For special elections, absentee voting begins "as soon as ballots are available, but not earlier than 20 days prior to the election," Hunt Esquivel wrote.
Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins anticipates having early voting available in-person at the county administration building there starting Jan. 16, she wrote in an email. Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. for voters in the district.
Cournoyer was first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. There are still two years left in the term representing the district, which includes Clinton, DeWitt, Camanche, Wheatland, Maquoketa and Princeton.
In Clinton County, where the bulk of the district is located, a new auditor will take office in the new year. Republican David Troester defeated Democrat Eric Van Lancker in the November election.
Iowa Senate Democrats, in a statement, called the upcoming special election "a pivotal moment for Eastern Iowa to send a clear message: enough is enough."
"This election allows voters to demand bold leadership and real solutions to move Iowa forward. It's about electing a Senator who will fully fund our schools, grow Iowa's middle class, and fight for a fair deal for every family — not just the wealthy few," the statement said.
Iowa AG warns of sweepstakes scams
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is cautioning Iowans to be aware of sweepstakes scams after helping a Central Iowa couple narrowly avoid paying $16,000 in a scamming attempt.
Sweepstakes scams are when scammers use the promise of a prize to get someone’s money or personal information. These scams typically take place over the phone where scammers usually ask individuals to pay money or provide personal and financial account information to receive a prize, which in reality is nonexistent.
Last month, Bird’s office helped the couple after a scammer called the 72-year-old husband, falsely telling him he won a Publishers Clearing House prize of $3.5 million, plus $5,000 a week for life, according to a new release issues by the office Monday.
He was instructed to pay $16,340.18 in up-front fees and taxes, leading him to mail a cashier's check to a Miami address.
The man’s wife and daughter learned what happened and contacted their son-in-law, who was at a training for Iowa county attorneys, the release said. The son-in-law spoke with an investigator from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office about the scam and they were able to intercept the package, after working with a local postal inspector, and return it to the couple.
“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Bird said in a statement. “I am so glad that we saved this Iowa couple their $16,000. Sweepstakes scams are evil and manipulative. And con artists will do everything they can to exploit Iowans’ emotions, like the excitement of hitting the jackpot, in order to steal from you.”
Bird encourages Iowans to call her office at 1-888-777-4590 if they or someone they know is suspicious of a scam.
Here are ways to spot a sweepstakes scam, according to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office:
- You must pay to receive your prize: If you must pay “taxes,” “shipping fees,” or other charges up-front to get your prize, it’s a scam. Legitimate sweepstakes do not ask for up-front payment.
- You must pay to increase your chances of winning: Sweepstakes are decided by the luck of a draw. If someone says you can pay to increase your odds of winning, it’s a scam.
- Unexpected phone calls or emails: Legitimate businesses notify winners via mail or in-person — not over the phone.
- Requests for personal information: Publishers Clearing House and other sweepstakes will never ask for personal information like bank account numbers, especially over the phone.
- High-pressure tactics: Scammers often create a sense of urgency to prevent people from second-guessing the scam and convince them to send money.
- Secrecy: Scammers will tell you to keep your winnings a secret so that friends and family do not intervene.
Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
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