State Dems debate Linn special election issues

By James Q. Lynch

The Gazette

Linn County Democrats asked State Central Committee members for the same discretions as their counterparts in other counties in filling vacancies.

The issue comes up because members of the Linn County Democratic Central Committee from 11 Cedar Rapids precincts will choose a nominee in a Nov. 24 special election to replace Rep. Dick Taylor, who has resigned his House 33 seat.

By state law, the state party chairman, Michael Kiernan, sets the date for the nominating convention. Monday night, Kiernan conducted a teleconference to ask state Central Committee members for advice on whether he should schedule the convention before or after the Linn County party's Oct. 28 meeting. After nearly an hour of “advise and consent” from the state Central Committee, Kiernan said he expects to make a decision within 24 to 48 hours.

Speaking for the local party leaders, Linn County Chairwoman Diane Hoffmann of Mount Vernon said it would be best to nominate a candidate before the Oct. 28 meeting even though nine of 22 House 33 precinct seats are open. If not, she said, the candidates for the nomination attempt to pack the monthly meeting in hopes of filling nine vacancies with their supporters.

Kevin Boyd of the Iowa House Caucus urged Kiernan to schedule the nominating convention after the Oct. 28 meeting to engage more people in the process and avoid hurt feelings.

So far, two candidates have expressed interest in the race: longtime union and party activist Norm Sterzenbach; and Kirsten Running-Marquard, who has been involved in numerous union and party campaigns and activities.

A number of state Central Committee members told Kiernan it's important that the process be as open and inclusive as possible. Democrats don't want to be “an old boy's club” like the Republican Party, Dick Sokolowski, a committee member from Cherokee said.

State party rules do not clearly spell out a procedure for counties to follow. Johnson and Dubuque County members said they had filled vacancies before nominating candidates for special elections.

However, James Moody of the Stonewall Democrats, said that if Hoffman's executive committee backer her who were state Central Committee members to second-guess them. That would set a bad precedent.

Hoffmann pointed out that Dubuque and Johnson counties had chosen how to handle their situations without the Central Committee being involved and asked that Linn County be given the same autonomy.