Iowa Democrats have new chair — Michael Kiernan

The Iowa Democratic Party's state central committee today ratified Governor Culver's choice for party chairman.  Michael Kiernan (pronounced KEER-nan) met with reporters at about noon today.  You can read the Radio Iowa story and listen to the entire six minute news conference here.

Iowa Republicans recently elected 35-year-old Matt Strawn as their new chairman.  After his election by the Iowa GOP's state central committee, Strawn changed his Facebook status to reflect his new, well, status as party chairman, then Strawn spoke to a room of reporters gathered at party headquarters.

Today, during a news conference at Iowa Democratic Party headquarters, a reporter asked Kiernan — who is 33 years old – if he'd changed his Facebook status. "You know, I haven't changed it yet and that should show you guys a lot of respect," Kiernan told the handful of reporters who were crowded into an office at IDP headquarters.  "I actually didn't change my status yet on Facebook.  I was going to wait to get together with you and that'll be the first thing that I'll do — and I'll probably even 'friend' Matt Strawn." 

Here's a post from a few days ago with background on Kiernan.

And on the way into the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters this morning I saw a very happy man on his way out.  Scott Brenannan, the Iowa Democratic Party's chairman for the past two years, was smiling as we passed one another in the parking lot.