Candidates Lining Up for Vacated Senate Seat

Candidates are lining up for an open Iowa Senate seat that both parties are hot for, with two new candidates entering the race today.

Three Republicans and one Democrat are now going after Senate District 18. While the winner will represent a chunk of Linn County, the election will determine whether Democrats keep control of the state Senate. The outcome of the race could impact law on issues such as gay marriage, state funded pre-school and collective bargaining.

The seat is being vacated by Democrat Swati Dandekar, who resigned to accept Republican Gov. Terry Branstad's $137,000-a-year appointment to the Iowa Utilities Board. 

Republicans will hold a nominating convention Thursday to decide which of their candidates to put forward in a special election to be held Nov. 8.

Among the Republicans vying for the nomination:

• Matt Dummermuth, a former U.S. attorney who lives near Robins.
• Mary Rathje, a businesswoman from Cedar Rapids.
• Cindy Golding, co-chair of the Linn County GOP and a resident of Cedar Rapids.

The only Democrat to announce is Liz Mathis, a former anchorwoman at KCRG-TV and KWWL-TV who lives near Robins.

The contest for the seat, which represents Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Center Point among other areas in Linn County, could swing the balance of power in the Senate. With the departure of Dandekar, Democrats now hold a 25-24 majority in the Senate. In the past session, the Iowa Senate blocked a number of proposal pushed by the Republican-led Iowa House.

Democrats have a special nominating convention set for Wednesday, Sept. 28, following the Linn County Democrats’ Central Committee meeting at the Hiawatha Community Center in Hiawatha.

The Republican convention Thursday is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Longbranch Hotel in Cedar Rapids.