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Iowa Endorsements—Democrats

Given the apparent dominance of former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton in the lead up to the 2016 campaign it is not clear if endorsements will be much of a factor in the Democratic caucuses.  However, at least a few Democrats are looking for alternative choices; on March 18, 2015 Run Warren Run released a letter signed by 16 Democratic leaders (+).  In 2007-08 Democracy in Action found 22 of the 30 Senate Democrats and 48 of the 53 House Democrats made public endorsements before the caucuses.
Democrats  |  Republicans


 updated May 6, 2015              
Federal
U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (CD-2)

State
Attorney General Tom Miller
Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald

Senate Democrats (26) +
Name Position District - City/Town
County


Mike Gronstal
Majority Leader
5 - Council Bluffs
Pottawattamie


Pam Jochum
Senate President
50 - Dubuque
Dubuque


Joe Bolkcom
Whip
43 - Iowa City
Johnson


Steve Sodders
President Pro Tem
36 - State Center
Marshall


Bill Dotzler
Assistant Leader
31 - Waterloo
Black Hawk


Matt McCoy
Assistant Leader 21 - Des Moines
Polk


Amanda Ragan
Assistant Leader 27 - Mason City
Cerro Gordo


Mary Jo Wilhelm
Assistant Leader
26 - Cresco
Howard


Chaz Allen

15 - Newton
Jasper


Tony Bisignano

17 - Des Moines
Polk
DRAFT BIDEN (05/06/15 letter)
+
Tod Bowman

29 - Maquoketa
Jackson


Chris Brase

46 - Muscatine
Muscatine


Thomas Courtney

44 - Burlington
Des Moines


Jeff Danielson

30 - Waterloo
Black Hawk


Dick Dearden

16 - Des Moines
Polk


Bob Dvorsky

37 - Coralville
Johnson


Rita Hart

49 - Wheatland
Clinton


Rob Hogg

33 - Cedar Rapids
Linn


Wally Horn

35 - Cedar Rapids
Linn


Kevin Kinney

39 - Oxford
Johnson


Liz Mathis

34 - Robins
Linn


Janet Petersen

18 - Des Moines
Polk


Herman Quirmbach

23 - Ames
Story


Brian Schoenjahn

32- Arlington
Fayette


Joe Sang

45 - Davenport
Scott


Rich Taylor

42 - Mount Pleasant
Henry





House Democrats (43) +
Name Position District - City/Town
County


Mark Smith
Leader 71 - Marshalltown
Marshall


Ako Abdul-Samad
Assistant Leader
35 - Des Moines
Polk


Mary Gaskill
Assistant Leader
81 - Ottumwa
Wapello
DRAFT BIDEN (05/06/15 letter) +
Todd Prichard
Assistant Leader
Charles City
Floyd


Sharon Steckman
Assistant Leader
Mason City
Cerro Gordo


Marti Anderson

36 - Des Moines
Polk


Bruce Bearinger

64 - Oelwein
Fayette


Liz Bennett

65 - Cedar Rapids
Linn


Deborah Berry

62 - Waterloo
Black Hawk


Timi Brown-Powers

61 - Waterloo
Black Hawk


Dennis Cohoon

87 - Burlington
Des Moines


Dave Dawson

14 - Sioux City
Woodbury


Nancy Dunkel

57 - Dyersville
Dubuque


Abby Finkenauer

99 - Dubuque
Dubuque


John Forbes

40 - Urbandale
Polk


Ruth Ann Gaines

32 - Des Moines
Polk


Chris Hall

13 - Sioux City
Woodbury


Curt Hanson

82 - Fairfield
Jefferson


Lisa Heddens

46 - Ames
Story


Bruce Hunter

34 - Des Moines
Polk


Chuck Isenhart

100 - Dubuque
Dubuque


David Jacoby

74 - Coralville
Johnson


Jerry Kearns

83 - Keokuk
Lee


Dan Kelley

29 - Newton
Jasper


Bob Kressig

59 - Cedar Falls
Black Hawk


Vicki Lensing

85 - Iowa City
Johnson


Jim Lykam

89 - Davenport
Scott
DRAFT BIDEN (05/06/15 letter) +
Mary Mascher

86 - Iowa City
Johnson


Charlie McConkey

15 - Council Bluffs
Pottawattamie


Brian Meyer

33 - Des Moines
Polk


Helen Miller

9 - Fort Dodge
Webster


Jo Oldson

41 - Des Moines
Polk


Rick Olson

31 - Des Moines
Polk


Scott Ourth

26 - Ackworth
Warren


Patti Ruff

56 - McGregor
Clayton


Kirsten Running-Marquardt

69 - Cedar Rapids
Linn


Art Staed

66 - Cedar Rapids
Linn


Sally Stutsman

77 - Riverside
Johnson


Todd Taylor

70 - Cedar Rapids
Linn


Phyllis Thede

93 - Davenport
Scott


Beth Wessel-Kroeschell

45 - Ames
Story


Cindy Winckler

90 - Davenport
Scott


Mary Wolfe

98 - Clinton
Clinton


The four new members of the House Democratic Caucus elected in 2014 are Liz Bennett of Cedar Rapids, Timi Brown-Powers of Waterloo, Abby Finkenauer of Dubuque, and Charlie McConkey of Council Bluffs.

Notes:
A number of local party officials, but no state legislators signed on to Run Warren Run's March 18, 2015 letter urging Elizabeth Warren to enter the race.

Half a dozen state reps. signed on to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee's March 24, 2015 statement on "big, bold, economic-populist ideas."

On May 6 Draft Biden announced endorsers including State Sen. Tony Bisignano, State Rep. Jim Lykam, State Rep. Mary A. Gaskill, and Scott
County Auditor Roxanna Moritz.


*  *  *

Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee

Chair
Dr. Andy McGuire

1st Vice Chair
Jim Mowrer

2nd Vice Chair
Jean Pardee

3rd Vice Chair
Omar Padilla

Treasurer
Ken Sagar

Secretary
Don Ruby

DNC Members
Scott Brennan
Sandy Opstvedt
Linda Langston
Jan Bauer
Mike Gronstal

First District
Michael D. Blackwell
Andriy Lapitskyy
Arlie Willems
Jerry Lynch
Karen Pratte
Rosemary Schwartz
Norm Sterzenbach
RRS Stewart

Second District
Al Bohanan
Bill Hanes
Melinda Jones
Susan Frembgen
Sandy Dockendorff
Marty O’Boyle
Jean Pardee
Bob Thomas

Third District
Bill Brauch
Rick Smith
Marcia H. Fulton
Jennifer Lunsford
Julie Stewart
Linda Nelson
John McCormally
Carl McPherson

Fourth District
Andy Bock
Chris Petersen
Tedd Herrick
Penny Rosfjord
Kim Weaver
Sue Seedorff-Keninger
Marcia Thompson
Selden Spencer

Affirmative Action Chair
Fred Seay

Platform Committee Chair
Mike Robinson

Rules Committee Chair
Sandy Dockendorff

President of the Iowa Young Democrats
Lauren Freeman

Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus Representative
Joseph Michalec

Black Caucus Representative
Ako Abdul-Samad
Jamie Woods

Disability Caucus Representative
Judy Schmidt
Joe Stutler

Stonewall Democrats Caucus Representative
Devin Kelly
Evan Anderson

Latino Caucus Representative
Paula Martinez
Araceli Goode

Veteran’s Caucus Representative
Ron Healey
Will Overstreet



County Leaders
+