It’s a wrap

The June 3 Primary Election in Iowa is history.  A couple of very close primaries.  Christopher Reed of Marion won the GOP US Senate primary with 35.3 percent of the vote.  As you may know, a candidate must get at least 35 percent in order to claim the nomination, or a nominee is chose at a convention.  George Eichhorn of Stratford finished 413 votes behind Reed.  Steve Rathje, the fellow who wouldn’t return phone calls and who refused to participate in debates finished third, with about 30 percent.

Congressman Leonard Boswell of Des Moines thumped Democratic primary challenger Ed Fallon by 22 percentage points. 

Women wom in congressional primaries in the second and fourth congressional districts.  Dr. Mariannete Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa eeked out a victory — by 109 votes — over Peter Teahen. Miller-Meeks will be the Republican who faces first-term Congressman Dave Loebsack of Mount Vernon in November.  In the fourth district, Becky Greenwald of Pery — the chairwoman of Dallas County Democrats — outdistanced her three competitors, garnering just over half of all the votes cast in teh Democratic primary. Greenwald will face Republican Congressman Tom Latham of Ames in the fall.

Turnout was low, very low — about 12 percent for Republicans and 13 percent for Democrats.