There are plenty of primary races between Republicans when it comes to Iowa House seats that will inevitably heat up this month with the vote around the corner in June. But there are seven in particular that will go a long, long, long way in determining the direction of the Republican caucus in the Iowa House.
Look no further than the school choice issue. Every race listed below includes someone who has expressed hesitancy when it comes to supporting Education Savings Accounts or has voted against pro-life legislation.
The Iowa Standard has already endorsed Rep. Dean Fisher in his race against Rep. Dave Maxwell. You can read about that decision here.
These other six races are pivotal. And we’ll detail why in a future article on each race. But taken as a whole, these seven races are absolutely crucial to advancing conservatism in Iowa.
Keep tabs this week for write-ups on each race. We sent out surveys to candidates in contested GOP primaries last week, we will see who responds. However, for these particular races, voting records also weigh heavily in decisions.
House District 5: Rep. Dennis Bush (anti-ESAs) vs. Zach Dieken vs. Thomas Kuiper
House District 37: Rep. Jon Thorup (anti-ESAs) vs. Barb Kniff McCulla
House District 53: Rep. Dean Fisher (TIS endorsed) vs. Rep. Dave Maxwell (anti-ESAs, anti-life voting record)
House District 60: Rep. Jane Bloomingdale (anti-life voting record) vs. Deb Hild
House District 66: Rep. Steve Bradley vs. Rep. Lee Hein (anti-life voting record, unsure of position on ESAs)
House District 87: Rep. Jeff Shipley vs. Rep. Joe Mitchell (opposed to ESAs)
House District 88: Rep. Dustin Hite (opposed to ESAs) vs. Helena Hayes
