Horton, King, And Judge Wins Plymouth County
(Le Mars) — In the primary election, the winners in Plymouth County were Gary
Horton for the County Supervisor position, Steve King for the Iowa 4th District
Congressional seat, and former Lt. Governor and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty
Judge. Gary Horton of Akron was able to defeat Dan Smith of Merrill with 1131
votes to Smith’s total 724. Horton will now be listed on the general election
ballot in November, but will not have any listed challenger. Steve King was able
to secure Plymouth County by defeating Republican State Senator challenger Rick
Bertrand by a 1136 to 827 margin. Few people from Plymouth County voted in the
Democratic primary, however, former Lt. Governor and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Patty Judge perhaps was able to capitalize on her name recognition. She was able
to defeat State Senator Rob Hogg by more than a two to one margin. Judge garnered
a total of 85 votes to Hogg’s 35. Third place finisher Bob Krause secured 28
votes, and Tom Fiegen was limited to single digits of seven total votes. A total
of 2,163 people voted in Plymouth County which represented only a 12.1 percent
voter turnout. In the non-contested races, Republican State House Representative
Chuck Holz had 1593 votes, Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo had 1,743 votes, County
Auditor Stacy Feldman had 1,613 votes and County Supervisor Mark Loutsch had 1,570
votes. U-S Senator Chuck Grassley gained 1,665 votes in Plymouth County. KLEM
news spoke with Gary Horton last evening after the results were tallied.
A key battle ground for both Horton and Smith was in Le Mars, with both candidates
nearly splitting in half the available votes from the “Ice Cream Capital of the
World”. Horton says he was grateful for the voters in and around Akron and
Westfield for having a good turnout.
King Able To Withstand Bertrand Challenge
(Sioux City) — Republican Congressman Steve King was able to withstand the primary
challenge from State Senator Rick Bertrand as King won by nearly a two to one
margin across the Iowa 4th District. Republicans in Iowa’s sprawling 4th
Congressional District have chosen outspoken conservative Rep. Steve King over a
state senator.
King won the primary election Tuesday over state Sen. Rick Bertrand, who had
argued that voters were tired of the seven-term congressman’s brash statements on
topics ranging from immigration to abortion.
King gained the endorsements of most Iowa elected Republicans, including U.S.
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The primary campaign was focused more on candidate styles than policy
positions because they agree on most issues, although Bertrand called for more
emphasis on Iowa’s agricultural economy.
Since being elected to Congress in 2002, King hasn’t faced a close general
election. Republicans hold a significant voter registration advantage over
Democrats. King calls the election victory as a “Referendum”.
State Senator Rick Bertrand (BER-trand) of Sioux City challenged King in the
Primary, the first time King has faced a G-O-P opponent since he first won a seat
in congress back in 2002. King says Bertrand (BER-trand) was “recruited” to run
this year by agribusinessman Bruce Rastetter (RAS-teht-er), who is Governor
Branstad’s number one donor, and by Nick Ryan, a power broker G-O-P consultant.
. King says he’s glad this chapter is over.
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Judge Wins Easily Over Three Other Democrat Senate Candidates
(Des Moines) — Former Lt. Governor Patty Judge easily won the Democratic U-S
Senate primary race by defeating her three opponets. Judge took 86 of the 99 Iowa
counties. Judge had won 47.5 percent, with Cedar Rapids State Senator Rob Hogg
taking second place by winning nine counties and having 38.8 percent of the votes.
Thomas Fiegen did win Jefferson County, but had only 6.8 percent of the total
votes. Bob Krause, a former state legislator had only 6.7 percent of the
Democratic primary votes.
King’s Selfie Photo With Marked Ballot Upsets Secretary of State Pate
(Des Moines) — Although Steve King was able to win his primary election against
State Senator Rick Bertrand, King has ruffled the feathers of Iowa’s Secretary of
State Paul Pate. The reason is King, a seven-term Congressman, took a selfie photo
of himself with a marked ballot. Pate says it is technically against state law to
take a picture of a market ballot.
Pate says Iowa’s election law forbids pictures of a marked ballot was drafted to
keep people with cameras from taking pictures of someone else’s ballot.
Pate says until state law is changed, perhaps sometime in 2017, Iowa voters should
NOT take selfies with ballots in the 2016 General Election.
……………..
Johnson Upset With Trump’s Comments And Drops Republican Affiliation
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A senior member of the Iowa Senate says he has suspended
his Republican Party membership to protest “racist remarks” made by the party’s
presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
Sen. David Johnson, of Ocheyedan, says Tuesday that he changed his voter
registration from Republican to “no party.”
The senator from northwest Iowa says he would “not stand silent” if the
Republican Party “buckles under the racial bias of a bigot,” referring to Trump.
Johnson’s criticism was prompted by Trump’s comments that a judge ruling in a
lawsuit involving Trump University was biased because of his Mexican heritage.
Johnson says Republican leaders have been too timid in condemning Trump.
He says he hasn’t decided whether he will stop caucusing with Republicans in
the Iowa Senate.
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Sioux City Riverfront Development Could Cost Millions
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A consultant says plans to transform Sioux City’s
riverfront into a green space and recreation area would cost at least $4.4 million
with additional costs for a Ferris wheel and pedestrian bridge across the Missouri
River.
Tom Rogers, a landscape architect with SmithGroupJJR, presented project details Monday to city council members.
The Madison, Wisconsin-based company estimates that in addition to the startup
cost, Sioux City will have the option to add three underpasses along Interstate 29
for $850,000, an $11 million pedestrian bridge and a $1.3 million Ferris wheel.
Mayor Bob Scott had concerns about whether the long-term project could receive
the approval of future city councils. Construction could begin in 2020.
