Candidates file for 2nd, 3rd, 4th District races

Steve Rathje of Cedar Rapids is the first of four candidates for the 2

^nd

District Republican nomination to file his nomination papers with the Secretary of State's Office.

Candidates planning to run in the June 8 primary elections have until March 19 to file nomination papers.

Rathje is expected to be joined by as many as three other Republicans hoping to challenge second-term Democrat Rep. Dave Loebsack of Mount Vernon.

In the 3

^rd

District, Scott Batcher of West Des Moines filed for the GOP nomination to challenge Rep. Leonard Boswell, a Des Moines Democrat. Several Republicans have announced plans to see the 3

^rd

District nomination.

In the 4

^th

, Democrat Bill Maske of Truro has filed to face Rep. Tom Latham, an Ames Republican.

In legislative races:

• In House 23, Rep. Gene Ficken, D-Independence, will face former Rep. Dan Rasmussen, an Independence Republican he defeated in 2008.
• In House 24, Rep. Roger Thomas, D-Elkader, will face Republican Michael Breitbach of Strawberry Point.

Others filings include:

• In House 30, Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville
• In House 80, Mark Lofgren, a Muscatine Republican
• House 89, Rep. Larry Marek, D-Riverside