Democrats have spent the last couple of years attacking Iowa Republicans for bills passed related to education.
The bills include efforts to expand school choice, reform the AEAs, require school bathrooms to be used based on sex rather than so-called “gender identity,” prohibit schools from keeping secrets from parents related to the so-called “gender identity” of students, prohibit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools, prohibit sexually explicit content from school libraries, etc.
Democrats called Republicans extreme for passing common-sense reforms to education issues in Iowa. Other than championing the continued legalized killing of unborn babies, education was the issue Democrats tried attacking Republicans about.
So, how did that play out on election night? Not well.
Not one single Republican on the House Education Committee lost their seat. In the districts where the Republican representative decided not to run again, the Republican won.
Democrats were not so lucky. It’s quite possible the radical extremism of Iowa House Democrats on education issues cost them seats.
The ranking member of the committee, Rep. Sharon Steckman, did not seek re-election. And Democrats did not win her seat. Republicans won Steckman’s seat 8,051-7,695.
Democrat State Rep. Molly Buck also lost her re-election bid 10,700-10,564. Democrat State Rep. Sue Cahill lost her bid for re-election 6,435-5,869. Cahill was largely outspoken on the most controversial issues and championed sexually explicit content in school libraries.
Democrat State Rep. Monica Kurth nearly lost, but was re-elected by 27 votes.
Tuesday’s election may have provided an education to Iowa House Democrats about the consequences of their extremism. It depends on if the Democrats are humble enough to listen or too stubborn to care.
REPUBLICANS:
Rep. Skyler Wheeler: Ran unopposed, won.
Rep. Craig Johnson: Ran unopposed, won.
Rep. Brooke Boden: Won 10,177-7,151.
Rep. Steven Bradley: Won 9,539-7,667.
Rep. Taylor Collins: Won 11,280-4,519.
Rep. Joel Fry: Not seeking re-election. Republican won seat 9,899-4,873.
Rep. Dan Gehlbach: Won 10,858-8,826.
Rep. Bill Gustoff: Won 8,718-8,397.
Rep. Steven Holt: Won 10,263-3,639.
Rep. Heather Hora: Won 6,340-4,019.
Rep. Chad Ingels: Won 10,344-5,032.
Rep. Tom Moore: Won 11,160-3,935.
Rep. Anne Osmundson: Not seeking re-election. Republican won seat 10,816-5,113.
Rep. Henry Stone: Won 11,737-4,262.
Rep. Phil Thompson: Not seeking re-election. Republican won seat 9,122-5,530.
DEMOCRATS:
Rep. Sharon Steckman: Did not seek re-election. Democrat LOST seat 8,051-7,695.
Rep. Molly Buck, 41: Lost 10,700-10,564.
Rep. Sue Cahill, 52: Lost 6,435-5,869.
Rep. Tracy Ehlert 79: Won 9,209-5,945.
Rep. Monica Kurth 98: Won 6,580-6,533.
Rep. Mary Madison 31: Ran unopposed, won.
Rep. Heather Matson 42: Won 9,103-8,953.
Rep. Art Staed 80: Did not seek re-election to House. Democrat won 9,061-8,239.
Three of the listed Democrat victories in the article were by 150 votes or less. One of them in my county – Nathan Ranker ended election night with a 47 vote deficit to Monica Kurth in a heavily Democrat district.
I hope he can prevail in an audit given how close it is and Democrats typical flaunting of so much to do with electioneering.
Nathan Ranker was a party nominated candidate but received scant support from the party, mostly an attaboy. His platform was clear and his support organic because he had so little support. His opponent the muti-term incumbent Monica Kurth is an ultra lib radical who votes that way on everything while pretending she has the pulse of the working class neighborhoods in the district. She is a Bernie Sanders big-governemt type socialist, parental rights denying, trans-gender and abortion agendist. She is extremely wrong on everything good for the economic and familial health of the district and the state.
A relative few bucks would have unseated the radical Kurth or caused the goofball leadership of her knee jerk union support (93% of her October report donations — only 7% individuals) to waste more union dues on a creepy agenda unsupported by the rank and file — or if they had any sense — write her off out of embarrassment for her extremist agenda.
Nathan’s race, due to its late start and scant promotion was under potential supporters radar. But the Party should know better and minimally support EVERY credible Party nominated candidate if for no other reason than to fly the flag but especially to effectively force reallocation/ deny flexible resources to Demo-Femonazi-Marxocrats and oh yes WIN!
Had the Republican Party been able to allocate a few thousand dollars to the issue pressure points presciently identified by the candidate (common sense really) he would be the Representative-elect and Kurth would be in a poor position to run again as she will never be able to run away from her radical issue orientation.