Primary Election Winners Will Now Prepare for Partisan Fall Fights

As the dust begins to settle after Iowa's Primary election, the winning campaigns will regroup and start strategizing to martial their resources for the fall campaign.

A few surprise upsets occurred as the political parties chose their candidates on Tuesday.

In the Democrat's U.S. Senate race, Retired Navy Admiral Mike Franken won the opportunity to unseat six-term Senator Chuck Grassley.

Franken beat former congresswoman and early frontrunner Abby Finkenauer and physician Glenn Hurst. With news outlets reporting 97% of precinct results, Franken coasted to victory with 55% of the vote, Finkenauer had 40%, and Hurst had 5%.

Grassley typically wins by significant margins. He skipped to his last reelection with 60% of the vote and currently has millions in his campaign war chest. As a result, Iowa Democrats and their national allies will have to supercharge their efforts if they hope to deny Chuck Grassley a seventh Senate term.

Meanwhile, a big upset happened at the Dubuque County Courthouse, with Defense Attorney Sam Wooden walloping incumbent Dubuque County Attorney C.J. May III by a substantial 4,100 vote margin.

Wooden now advances as the Democratic nominee to face Republican attorney Scott Nelson, who ran unopposed.

Redistricting pitted two incumbent Republicans against one another in House District 66, located mainly in Jackson and Jones Counties.

Farmer Lee Hein faced off against Dentist Steve Bradley, and voters went with first-term conservative Bradley to give him a ten-point victory 55% to 45%.

Democrats have yet to field a candidate, so Bradley will likely see smooth sailing to a November victory.

In another close campaign for the Republican nod to take on long-time House District 72 Representative Chuck Isenhart, Jennifer Smith prevailed over political newcomer Greg Parker.

A Loras college professor, Smith may have been helped by a previous run for the State Senate. Meanwhile, Parker, a retired factory worker, made a good showing in his first attempt at public office. Smith prevailed by 243 votes and will face the established Democrat incumbent, Isenhart.

The road to November 8 may present a long and bumpy ride for some and a smooth coast for others. No doubt it's sure to be a fun and exciting election year, so we might as well buckle up and enjoy the political theatre.