GOP ready for long Senate 18 nominating convention tonight

Linn County Republican leaders are preparing for a lengthy nomination convention Thursday night (Sept. 22) when delegates gather to select a candidate for a special election in Iowa Senate 18.

Three candidates have announced they are seeking the nomination. County Chairman Steve Armstrong said there may be a fourth candidate who will announce at the nominating convention at 7 p.m. at the Longbranch Hotel & Convention Center, 90 Twixt Town Rd., NE, Cedar Rapids.

The candidates who have announced are Mary Rathje of Marion, Cindy Golding of rural Cedar Rapids and Matt Dummermuth of Robins.

The winner will face likely Democratic nominee Liz Mathis of Robins in a special election Nov. 8 to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Swati Dandekar, a Marion Democrat, from the Iowa Senate. She accepted Republican Gov. Terry Branstad's appointment to the Iowa Utilities Board.

Democrats, who selected their candidate earlier this week, will have a nominating convention Sept. 28 following their regular monthly meeting at the Hiawatha Community Center, 101 Emmons St. Hiawatha.

The decision on the GOP nomination will be decided by 70-plus delegates from the precincts in Senate 18, which wraps around the northern and western tier of townships in Linn County.

Each delegate's vote will be weighted to reflect the GOP votes cast in the 2008 contest between Dandekar and Republican Joe Childers. Dandekar won that election 54 percent to 47 percent. However, voter registration numbers favor Republicans 15,945 to 15,752. “No party” voters outnumber either party.

Voting will begin after each candidate is nominated and delivers a speech to the convention, Armstrong said.

After two ballots, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated, Armstrong explained. Balloting will continue until one candidate gets 50 percent plus one of the votes cast.

“There could be several ballots,” he said, “But I think it will move reasonably quickly.”

Linn County Republicans say a win would help advance conservative issues at the Iowa Capitol.

“It doesn't give us control of the Senate, but does give us an opportunity to bring bills that have passed the House to the floor of the Senate for debate,” Armstrong told KCRG.com.

Linn County Democrats, however, say an even split would only make matters worse, especially because Republicans already rule the House and the governor's office.

“The checks and balances of government would be really lopsided. Not only that, the senate would be at a gridlock, you'd have more gridlock and that's not what we need,” Linn County Democratic Chair Diane Hoffmann told KCRG.com.

Senate District 18 covers all of Marion, Fairfax, Palo, Hiawatha, Robbins, Alburnett, Center Point, Walker, Coggon, Prairieburg and part of Walford.