Iowa Senate stays Democratic; Marriage Equality safe for now; District 18 vote: Liz Mathis beats Cindy Golding 56-44%

Linn County, Iowa Election Services

In what was supposed to be a squeaker, Democratic former television anchor Liz Mathis soundly defeated Republican Cindy Golding after greatly outspending her during a campaign which saw 23,000 robocalls from NOM/Iowa Family Leader and 35,000 from Citizens United supporting Cindy Golding. One Iowa, a marriage equality organization, made 12,000 calls of its own on behalf of Mathis.



     KCCI aired a segment featuring Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center and Troy price of One Iowa in which KCCI framed attention to the election as due to interest in the continued political viability of gay marriage in Iowa. 
     An under-reported factor in the election was some disgust among District 18 voters at Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's transparent attempt to change the complexion of the Iowa Senate by "bribing" District 18's Democratic state senator Swati Dandekar into leaving the senate by offering a $100,000+ appointment to the Iowa Utilities Board over 12 candidates with more relevant experience. Branstad's denial that politics played a role in his decision only engendered more voter contempt.
     Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal did not mince words following the special election when he told KCRG, Cedar Rapids:

“This was their hand-picked race,” Gronstal said. “They chose to appoint a Democrat from the Senate, a Democrat that came from a district they believed they would be able to win. Now they’re saying, well, it doesn’t really mean anything. That’s nonsense.”