Opposing parties both predict Iowa Legislature victories

PHILADELPHIA - Although much of the focus of national political party conventions is on the presidential races, they also present an opportunity for leaders to rally the troops for down-ballot candidates.

Tuesday in Philadelphia, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, delivered a stemwinder speech calling on fellow delegates to hit the streets, knock on doors and open their wallets to elect Democrats to the Legislature.

Gronstal, 66, who has been involved in politics more than 40 years, talked about growing up in the 1960s when the only thing he wanted to do was 'leave the world a better place.” He was heartbroken, he said, when South Dakota Sen. George McGovern wasn't elected president in 1972.

Now, the source of Gronstal's frustration is the Iowa Legislature, where he has spent half of his life.

'We are stuck with a Republican House and a Republican governor. But we still made them expand access to health care access for 150,000 Iowans,” he said.

'We worked to protect collective bargaining for Iowans who work for the state of Iowa. We said that people who love each other can marry. That's who we are,” Gronstal shouted to be heard over applause.

A week earlier in Cleveland, Gov. Terry Branstad delivered a pep talk to Iowa GOP convention delegates.

Republicans have 'a golden opportunity” to recapture the Iowa Senate, with prospects even for taking out Gronstal, Branstad said. The majority leader's opponent, Dan Dawson, is a Division of Criminal Investigation special agent with four deployments with the Army Reserve.

'I'm not going to predict that Gronstal is going to lose, but I'm telling you he is in the fight of his life. It's a great contest,” said Branstad, 69, who has never lost an election in his legislative and gubernatorial career dating to 1973.

'We need to win three seats to have a majority in the Senate. I think we're going to win four or five,” he said.

Rod Boshart of The Gazette contributed to this report.