Analyst calls Iowa House race ‘tossup’

Long-time political analyst Louis Jacobson is calling the race for control of the Iowa House a “tossup.”

Democrats hold a 56 to 44 advantage, but Jacobson says former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad's lead over first-term Democrat Gov. Chet Culver “have boosted GOP hopes of winning back one or both of the state's legislative chambers.”

“Iowa, the state that arguably catapulted Barack Obama to the presidency, isn't as warm toward the Democrats as it was two years ago,” Jacobson writes at governing.com.

“The state House is a tossup and the state Senate leans Democratic, but these ratings could bounce around in the coming months,” he said.

Democrats have a 32 to 18 advantage in the Senate.

Although the race to control the nation's legislatures may be overshadowed during this year's midterm elections by congressional and gubernatorial contests, Jacobson predicts the battle could to be pivotal nonetheless.

Jacobson is a staff writer for PolitiFact, the fact-checking website that is part of the St. Petersburg Times of Florida. In the past, he has handicapped the 50 state legislatures for the Cook Political Report, the Rothenberg Political Report and Stateline.org.

For more, visit

http://www.governing.com/blogs/politics/2010-state-legislatures-democrats-wild-ride.html#inplay.