Iowa Campaign Briefs, 5-7-2010

Former Democratic Party chair Edward Campbell passed away

DES MOINES – Gov. Chet Culver and other Iowa Democrats expressed their sympathies Friday to the family of former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Edward Campbell, who died late Thursday after a prolonged illness.

“The political world has lost a real champion of ideas, who committed much of his life to public service and was at the heart and soul of Democratic Party politics in Iowa for the last half century,” Culver said in a statement over the passing of his friend and political mentor.

Campbell, 75, is the husband of former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell.

Campbell, who was elected to the Iowa Democratic Party's Hall of Fame in 2007, ran an unsuccessful bid for his party's 1982 gubernatorial nomination after serving as state chairman from 1977 to 1982. He worked on a number of state and Iowa presidential caucus campaigns, as well as a lobbyist at the Statehouse during his career.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Edward Campbell. He was a talented campaigner and advocate, a dedicated public servant, a mentor, and simply a great friend to so many,” said current Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan in a statement. "Ed Campbell believed in building a better future for all Iowans. We are so grateful for his years of service in the U.S. Army, the governor's office, Sen. John Culver's office and as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party which were spent in that effort.”

Branstad back campaigning

DES MOINES – Former Gov. Terry Branstad planned to resume campaign activities on Saturday after a brief hospital stay this week for a procedure to treat a partially blocked artery in his heart.

The former governor was released from a Des Moines hospital on Thursday and his campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht said Branstad – one of three Republicans seeking the 2010 GOP gubernatorial nomination in the June 8 primary – planned campaign stops in Marion, Pella and Okoboji on Saturday and in Davenport on Monday.

Branstad, 63, who is seeking a fifth term as governor, underwent an elective medical procedure to treat a partially blocked artery in his heart Wednesday at a Des Moines hospital, Albrecht said. He did not have a heart attack, according to his doctor, and is expected to make a full recovery.

“He's very healthy and ready to go. He's a happy warrior,” said Des Moines attorney Doug Gross, who spoke earlier this week with Branstad. The former governor previously was treated for a heart attack in December 2000.

Branstad currently is locked in a competitive three-way race for the GOP nomination heading into the June 8 primary election with rivals Bob Vander Plaats, a Sioux City businessman, and state Rep. Rod Roberts, a five-term lawmaker from Carroll.

“No Party” leads among Iowa voter registrations

DES MOINES – More than 2 million Iowans currently are registered to vote with the June 8 primary a month away.

Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro issued updated figures Friday showing 774,005 Iowans had registered to vote with no party affiliation. Meanwhile, 711,106 registered as Democrats and 602,768 as Republicans among the overall total of 2,089,561.

Prior to the last general election held in November 2008, a total of 2,143,665 Iowans had registered to vote but an official in the Secretary of State's office noted that was for a presidential-year election and it was difficult to compare that figure with an election cycle of an off-presidential year.

A breakdown of voter registration numbers by county and by congressional, state House and state Senate districts can be found at

www.sos.state.ia.us/elections/voterreg/regstat.html and information on the 2010 primary election can be found at the

www.iowavotes.gov Web site.