Large number of primaries typical after redistricting

The high number of Republican primaries for Iowa legislative seats may have as much to do with lines on a map as lines in the sand.

The 36 Republican primary contests for the 126 Iowa House and Senate seats voters will fill in November is a sign of the excitement in the party that controls the House 60-40 and hopes to flip the Senate where it is a 24-26 minority, according to House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, calls the 27 House GOP primaries “pretty epic” and indicative of “turmoil” in the party. When filing for the June 5 primary closed March 16, some suggested the challengers were part of the Tea Party wing of the party.

They may be right, Iowa political scientists say, but they point out that the number of intraparty challenges typically increases in the first election after legislative boundaries are redrawn. For example, 10 years ago when the GOP controlled the House 56-44 and the Senate 30-20, there were 25 GOP primaries and 19 Democratic primaries after district lines were redrawn to reflect population changes.

“Rather than excitement or turmoil, I think it suggests the perception of opportunity,” said Chris Larimer, a political science professor from the University of Northern Iowa.

Redistricting “creates chaos and moves the deck chairs around on the Titanic,” added Steffen Schmidt of the Iowa State University political science department.

However, at least some of the challenges may be motivated by the battle lines Republicans have drawn in the legislative sand, he said.

“We have the Tea Party challenging incumbents and we have party moderates challenging Tea Party winners from the last time around,” Schmidt said. He sees the GOP “deeply divided” between social conservatives of the Tea Party movement and the more 'pragmatic' conservatives who want to focus primarily on economic issues, taxes and jobs.

Redistricting is a part of what's happening, said Dennis Goldford, Drake University political science professor, but that doesn't mean the Tea Party isn't doing some RINO hunting. RINOs -- or Republicans in Name Only, is a name applied to party members who some consider not conservative enough.

In the House, 11 incumbents, including six first-term representatives, face challenges. Ryan Rhodes of the Iowa Tea Party Patriots said he didn't recruit the challengers. He pointed out Rep. Tom Shaw, R-Laurens, a Tea Party member, is facing a Republican challenger.

“I work with a lot of candidates or potential candidates and give a lot of people advice, but this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Tea Party,” Rhodes said.

However, Rhodes and Rep. Kim Pearson, R-Pleasant Hill, a Tea Party favorite who is not seeking a second term, says some challengers are motivated by action – or inaction – by Republicans.

Pearson heard from many people who expressed an interest in running, even if it meant challenging an incumbent. In most cases, the challengers took issue with incumbents' votes on abortion issues, gun rights, budgets and the lack of progress in banning traffic enforcement cameras and dealing with illegal immigration.