Iowa Democratic Party
Encyclopedia
The Iowa Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party
in the state of Iowa
.
Iowa Democrats are in control of the Iowa Senate
, one of the state's United States Senate
seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives
seats. They hold a minority of the seats in the Iowa House of Representatives
.
Tom Vilsack
40th Governor of Iowa January 15, 1999- January 12, 2007
Chet Culver
41st Governor of Iowa January 12, 2007-January 14, 2011
Considered the official start of the Presidential election season. The Iowa Caucuses have been the first official votes casted in the Democratic Presidential nomination process since 1972.
-Eventual party nominee
2004: John Kerry
-Eventual party nominee
2000: Al Gore
-Eventual party nominee
1992:Tom Harkin
1988:Dick Gephardt
1984:Walter Mondale
-Eventual party nominee
1976:"Uncommitted"
1972: "Uncommitted"
In the order of votes received from Democratic delegates seven issues were chosen based on the number of votes received. The first plank is the opposition to corporate personhood
. The second plank is the support of a single-payer health care
for the United States. The third plank is opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act
. The fourth plank states that the Party supports the separation of church and state
. The fifth plank supports energy independence by using renewable and eco-sustainable resources from Iowa. The sixth plank supports removing the cap on Social Security
contributions and the seventh plank supports repealing "right to work" laws.
The Iowa Democratic Party supports
1.Marriage Equality or Gay Marriage
2.Habeas Corpus
3.Affirmative Action
4. Title IX
The IDP supports
1. Revoking tax breaks for and imposing heavy tax penalties on corporations sending jobs out of the country
2. Legalizing, taxing, regulating marijuana
3. Expanding “Earned Income Tax Credits” eligibility
The IDP supports
1. Removing cap on Social Security contributions.
2. Honoring federal budget obligations to “Social Security Trust Fund”.
3. Social Security benefits for married same-sex couples
The IDP supports
1. Fair, responsible, reasonable gun ownership.
2. Banning private ownership of assault-style weapons
The IDP supports
1. Energy independence with locally-owned renewable, eco-sustainable sources.
2. Carbon/mercury sequestration; safe storage/disposal of coal ash and hazardous nuclear waste.
3. Cap and trade on carbon dioxide emissions; fines on excess.
4. National smart-grid with standardized interconnect agreement.
5. Net-metering, front-end loaded and declining for consumer investment of renewable energy production.
6. Improved “Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency” standards for all vehicles.
7. Green public transportation.
8. Passage of “Land and Water Legacy Constitutional Amendment”.
9. Industrial hemp production
Chair of the Education committee State Senator Herman Quirmback (D-Ames) spoke favorably about Iowa Democrats supporting Governor Terry Branstad's education proposals.
issued a governor's order in 2005 that restored voting rights to felons who completed serving their sentences. The order's anticipated result would be returning the right to vote to over 80,000 Iowans. In 2011 Governor Terry Branstand rescinded this order.
signed legislation easing limitations on stem cell research.
Analysis from both Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and Southern Illinois University estimate that through 2011 the I-Jobs program will create 32,000-36,000 jobs.
In 2010 Governor Chet Culver signed House File 2532 which allows benefits paid for by the Veterans Trust Fund to be exempted from individual income taxes.
, when George W. Bush
carried the state's electoral votes, Iowa's electoral votes have gone to the Democratic candidate in every election. This reversed the trend of the previous twenty years, when Republicans had consistent success in Iowa's presidential elections. In the most recent election in 2008
, Barack Obama
carried the state with 54% to John McCain
's 44.7%.
has been Iowa's junior U.S. Senator since 1985, serving alongside Republican
Chuck Grassley
.
In the 2006 U.S. House elections
, Democrats captured Iowa's 1st congressional district
and Iowa's 2nd congressional district
from the Republican Party, which had controlled both districts for over three decades.
was elected governor and served two terms. Following Vilsack's decision to not run for reelection then-Secretary of State
Chet Culver
ran in 2006 and won. However, in 2010, Republican Terry Branstad defeated Culver 52.9% to 43.3%.
in 1836. During the first election held in the territory Democrat Col G.W. Jones won 66% of the vote and the Whig candidate won just 57 votes in the county that today is the State of Iowa. Iowa entered the union in 1846 and its first governor was Ansel Briggs
. That same year Iowa would send its first two Representatives to Congress, both Democrats. Two years later the Iowa Legislature would send two Democrats to represent Iowa in the United States Senate. However, with the rise of the Republican Party of Iowa
, Iowa Democrats had very little political power for nearly a century. With the exception of the late 1890s and 1930s, during the Great Depression
, Iowa Democrats did not became a major political force until the 1950s with the coordination of unions in Iowa's largest cities. Demographic changes in the 1940s and 1950s helped lay a foundation for Democratic success. During World War II
thousands of Iowans flocked to large cities to take advantage of war time jobs. By 1960 more Iowans resided in urban areas than rural areas. Iowa's industrial areas were not concentrated in one town, but spread out over the state's 15 largest cities. Along with industry developing across the state this led to Democratic strongholds spreading across Iowa as well. This demographic change translated into Democratic success first in Iowa's largest city Des Moines. There Democrats identified and registered thousands of new supporters. In 1954 Democrats "won control of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, every county administrative seat, and [...] all of Polk County's state legislative seats.
Taking advantage of internal Republican strife and backing from organized labor Democrat Herschel Loveless won an upset victory against incumbent Republican Governor Leo Hoegh
in the 1956 election. Two years later Loveless would win reelection and Democrats would capture 50 State House members, 12 State Senators, and 4 Congressional Seats. In 1960 Iowa's Government would revert back to Republican control. However, during the 1960s and 70's Iowa Democrats used their success in Polk County as model that was repeated across Iowa in organizing Democratic supporters. While Democrats would suffer large defeats in 1966 and 1968 Governor Hughes would go on to win three terms in office. Democrats were able to rebound electorally in the 1970s in part to John C. Culver and Richard C. Clark. They accomplished this by used computer models in a precinct by precinct basis to run issue driven campaigns. Both would be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 and 1974, respectfully. Republicans would once again regain party dominance in the late 1970s, but Democrats remained a competitive party in Iowa.
won Iowa in the 1912 presidential election
. Twenty years passed before another Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt
, won the state. With the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson
's landslide election win in the 1964 presidential election
the Democratic nominee for President did not win Iowa's electoral votes from 1952-1984. Since the 1988 presidential election Democrats have had success in capturing Iowa's electoral votes.
was elected in 1936. With Guy Gillette's defeat in 1944 Iowa Democrats wouldn't control a U.S. Senate seat till the election of Harold Hughes in 1969. Since 1985 Democrat Tom Harkin and Republican Chuck Grassley have each held a U.S. Senate seat.
would break nearly two decades of Republican control by being elected Governor. Two years later he was reelected to a second term. In 1963 Harold Hughes
was elected Governor of Iowa and would serve from 1963-1969. On January 1, 1969 Hughes resigned to take the U.S. Senate seat he had just won making his Lieutenant Governor, Robert D. Fulton
, Governor. Fulton was the last Democratic Governor of Iowa until Tom Vilsack was elected in 1999.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
Current elected officials
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
, one of the state's United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seats, and three out of the state's five United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seats. They hold a minority of the seats in the Iowa House of Representatives
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
.
U.S. House of Representatives
- Bruce BraleyBruce BraleyBruce Braley is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district lies in northeastern Iowa and includes Davenport, Bettendorf, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Dubuque, and Clinton....
, 1st DistrictIowa's 1st congressional districtIowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers the northeastern part of the state. The district includes Dubuque, Clinton, Davenport and Waterloo.... - David LoebsackDavid LoebsackDavid Wayne "Dave" Loebsack is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in southeastern Iowa and includes Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Ottumwa...
, 2nd DistrictIowa's 2nd congressional districtIowa's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that generally covers most of the southeastern part of the state including Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.The district is currently represented by Democrat Dave Loebsack.... - Leonard BoswellLeonard BoswellLeonard L. Boswell is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Des Moines.-Early life, education and career:...
, 3rd DistrictIowa's 3rd congressional districtIowa's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that currently covers an area from Des Moines to the western outskirts of the Cedar Falls-Waterloo Metropolitan Area to the western outskirts of the Cedar Rapids area and to Lucas and Monroe counties .The...
Statewide offices
- Attorney General Thomas John MillerThomas John MillerThomas John Miller is an attorney and the current Attorney General of the state of Iowa. He first served as the state's Attorney General from 1979 until 1991, when he ran for governor; however, he failed to obtain the Democratic Party's nomination.Miller was again elected Attorney General in...
- Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald
Governor
Harold E. Hughes 36th Governor of Iowa January 17, 1963-January 1, 1969Tom Vilsack
Tom Vilsack
Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
40th Governor of Iowa January 15, 1999- January 12, 2007
Chet Culver
Chet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011.-Early life and education:Culver was born in...
41st Governor of Iowa January 12, 2007-January 14, 2011
Party leadership
Sue Dvorsky is the Iowa Democratic Party Chair and has held the position since June 2010.Iowa caucuses
Considered the official start of the Presidential election season. The Iowa Caucuses have been the first official votes casted in the Democratic Presidential nomination process since 1972.
Past winners (excluding incumbents)
2008: Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
-Eventual party nominee
2004: John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
-Eventual party nominee
2000: Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
-Eventual party nominee
1992:Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
1988:Dick Gephardt
Dick Gephardt
Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt is a lobbyist and former prominent American politician of the Democratic Party. Gephardt served as a U.S. Representative from Missouri from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 2005, serving as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995, and as Minority Leader from 1995 to...
1984:Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
-Eventual party nominee
1976:"Uncommitted"
1972: "Uncommitted"
Top seven planks
In the order of votes received from Democratic delegates seven issues were chosen based on the number of votes received. The first plank is the opposition to corporate personhood
Corporate personhood
Corporate personhood is the status conferred upon corporations under the law, which allows corporations to have rights and responsibilities similar to those of a natural person. There is a question about which subset of rights that are afforded to natural persons should also be afforded to...
. The second plank is the support of a single-payer health care
Single-payer health care
Single-payer health care is medical care funded from a single insurance pool, run by the state. Under a single-payer system, universal health care for an entire population can be financed from a pool to which many parties employees, employers, and the state have contributed...
for the United States. The third plank is opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
. The fourth plank states that the Party supports the separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
. The fifth plank supports energy independence by using renewable and eco-sustainable resources from Iowa. The sixth plank supports removing the cap on Social Security
Social Security
Social security is a social program providing protection against conditions like poverty, old age, and disability.It may also refer to:* Social Security , the system of welfare payments in Australia* Social Security...
contributions and the seventh plank supports repealing "right to work" laws.
Civil rights
The Iowa Democratic Party supports
1.Marriage Equality or Gay Marriage
2.Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
3.Affirmative Action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
4. Title IX
Title IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
Taxation
The IDP supports
1. Revoking tax breaks for and imposing heavy tax penalties on corporations sending jobs out of the country
2. Legalizing, taxing, regulating marijuana
3. Expanding “Earned Income Tax Credits” eligibility
Social Security
The IDP supports
1. Removing cap on Social Security contributions.
2. Honoring federal budget obligations to “Social Security Trust Fund”.
3. Social Security benefits for married same-sex couples
Gun regulation
The IDP supports
1. Fair, responsible, reasonable gun ownership.
2. Banning private ownership of assault-style weapons
Agriculture and the environment
The IDP supports
1. Energy independence with locally-owned renewable, eco-sustainable sources.
2. Carbon/mercury sequestration; safe storage/disposal of coal ash and hazardous nuclear waste.
3. Cap and trade on carbon dioxide emissions; fines on excess.
4. National smart-grid with standardized interconnect agreement.
5. Net-metering, front-end loaded and declining for consumer investment of renewable energy production.
6. Improved “Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency” standards for all vehicles.
7. Green public transportation.
8. Passage of “Land and Water Legacy Constitutional Amendment”.
9. Industrial hemp production
Legislative positions
Iowa Democrats support President Obama's job plans and are urging their Republican colleagues to back the proposal.Chair of the Education committee State Senator Herman Quirmback (D-Ames) spoke favorably about Iowa Democrats supporting Governor Terry Branstad's education proposals.
Civil rights
Governor Tom VilsackTom Vilsack
Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
issued a governor's order in 2005 that restored voting rights to felons who completed serving their sentences. The order's anticipated result would be returning the right to vote to over 80,000 Iowans. In 2011 Governor Terry Branstand rescinded this order.
Agriculture
The Governor also signed a governor's order in 2000 that created the Iowa Food Policy Council.Social issues
In 2007 Governor Chet CulverChet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011.-Early life and education:Culver was born in...
signed legislation easing limitations on stem cell research.
Jobs program
Later in 2009 and 2010 Governor Culver signed into law $875 million dollars to go towards the I-Jobs program.Analysis from both Minnesota State Colleges and Universities and Southern Illinois University estimate that through 2011 the I-Jobs program will create 32,000-36,000 jobs.
Renewable energy
Governor Chet Culver signed legislation in 2007 that created the Iowa Power Fund. The fund spent a total of $70 million dollars on 49 projects related to renewable energy. The largest project dealt with experimenting with cellulosic ethanol at an ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. In June 2011 the project was ended by Governor Terry Branstad.Military and veterans
Governor Chet Culver's first Executive Order in 2007 orders that the United States flag be flown at half staff to honor members of the Iowa National Guard, Iowa Air National Guard, or resident of Iowa who was serving as a member of the U.S. military and was killed in the line of duty.In 2010 Governor Chet Culver signed House File 2532 which allows benefits paid for by the Veterans Trust Fund to be exempted from individual income taxes.
Presidential level
Democrats at the residential level have had consistent success in Iowa since 1988. With the exception of the 2004 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, when George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
carried the state's electoral votes, Iowa's electoral votes have gone to the Democratic candidate in every election. This reversed the trend of the previous twenty years, when Republicans had consistent success in Iowa's presidential elections. In the most recent election in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
carried the state with 54% to John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
's 44.7%.
Congressional level
Senator Tom HarkinTom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
has been Iowa's junior U.S. Senator since 1985, serving alongside Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Chuck Grassley
Chuck Grassley
Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
.
In the 2006 U.S. House elections
United States House of Representatives elections in Iowa, 2006
In Iowa, midterm elections for the state's five Congressional seats took place November 7, 2006. Each race was contested, each pitting the winners of the Republican and Democratic primaries conducted June 6....
, Democrats captured Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district
Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers the northeastern part of the state. The district includes Dubuque, Clinton, Davenport and Waterloo....
and Iowa's 2nd congressional district
Iowa's 2nd congressional district
Iowa's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that generally covers most of the southeastern part of the state including Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.The district is currently represented by Democrat Dave Loebsack....
from the Republican Party, which had controlled both districts for over three decades.
State level
Iowa Democrats held the Governor's office from 1999 to 2011. In 1999, Democrat Tom VilsackTom Vilsack
Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
was elected governor and served two terms. Following Vilsack's decision to not run for reelection then-Secretary of State
Iowa Secretary of State
The Iowa Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Iowa and is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and Voter Registration, Business Services, Administrative Services, and Communications and Publications...
Chet Culver
Chet Culver
Chester John "Chet" Culver was the 41st Governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. He was also elected as the Federal Liaison for the Democratic Governors Association for 2008-2009. He founded the Chet Culver Group, an energy sector consulting firm, in 2011.-Early life and education:Culver was born in...
ran in 2006 and won. However, in 2010, Republican Terry Branstad defeated Culver 52.9% to 43.3%.
Registered voters
As of July 2010 about 700,000 Iowans are registered Democrats compared to around 645,000 Republicans. Voters claiming independent outnumber both parties at just under 750,000 voters.History and past political strength
The Democratic Party existed in what is present day Iowa when it was still part of the Wisconsin TerritoryWisconsin Territory
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin...
in 1836. During the first election held in the territory Democrat Col G.W. Jones won 66% of the vote and the Whig candidate won just 57 votes in the county that today is the State of Iowa. Iowa entered the union in 1846 and its first governor was Ansel Briggs
Ansel Briggs
Ansel Briggs was the first Governor of Iowa, from 1846 to 1850. Briggs was a business entrepreneur, sheriff and a member of the Iowa Territorial House of Representatives before being Governor...
. That same year Iowa would send its first two Representatives to Congress, both Democrats. Two years later the Iowa Legislature would send two Democrats to represent Iowa in the United States Senate. However, with the rise of the Republican Party of Iowa
Republican Party of Iowa
The Republican Party of Iowa is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Iowa. The State Central Committee is led by Chairman Matt Strawn and Co-Chairman Bill Schickel...
, Iowa Democrats had very little political power for nearly a century. With the exception of the late 1890s and 1930s, during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Iowa Democrats did not became a major political force until the 1950s with the coordination of unions in Iowa's largest cities. Demographic changes in the 1940s and 1950s helped lay a foundation for Democratic success. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
thousands of Iowans flocked to large cities to take advantage of war time jobs. By 1960 more Iowans resided in urban areas than rural areas. Iowa's industrial areas were not concentrated in one town, but spread out over the state's 15 largest cities. Along with industry developing across the state this led to Democratic strongholds spreading across Iowa as well. This demographic change translated into Democratic success first in Iowa's largest city Des Moines. There Democrats identified and registered thousands of new supporters. In 1954 Democrats "won control of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, every county administrative seat, and [...] all of Polk County's state legislative seats.
Taking advantage of internal Republican strife and backing from organized labor Democrat Herschel Loveless won an upset victory against incumbent Republican Governor Leo Hoegh
Leo Hoegh
Leo Arthur Hoegh was a decorated U.S. Army officer, lawyer and politician who was the 33rd Governor of Iowa from 1955 to 1957.His record of public service included important contributions to his home state and to his country...
in the 1956 election. Two years later Loveless would win reelection and Democrats would capture 50 State House members, 12 State Senators, and 4 Congressional Seats. In 1960 Iowa's Government would revert back to Republican control. However, during the 1960s and 70's Iowa Democrats used their success in Polk County as model that was repeated across Iowa in organizing Democratic supporters. While Democrats would suffer large defeats in 1966 and 1968 Governor Hughes would go on to win three terms in office. Democrats were able to rebound electorally in the 1970s in part to John C. Culver and Richard C. Clark. They accomplished this by used computer models in a precinct by precinct basis to run issue driven campaigns. Both would be elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972 and 1974, respectfully. Republicans would once again regain party dominance in the late 1970s, but Democrats remained a competitive party in Iowa.
Presidential level
Democratic presidential candidates were historically unsuccessful in capturing the state's electoral votes. In fact the Republican Party's presidential nominee captured Iowa's electoral votes from 1856-1908. Democrat Woodrow WilsonWoodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
won Iowa in the 1912 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1912
The United States presidential election of 1912 was a rare four-way contest. Incumbent President William Howard Taft was renominated by the Republican Party with the support of its conservative wing. After former President Theodore Roosevelt failed to receive the Republican nomination, he called...
. Twenty years passed before another Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, won the state. With the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's landslide election win in the 1964 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1964
The United States presidential election of 1964 was held on November 3, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had come to office less than a year earlier following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. Johnson, who had successfully associated himself with Kennedy's...
the Democratic nominee for President did not win Iowa's electoral votes from 1952-1984. Since the 1988 presidential election Democrats have had success in capturing Iowa's electoral votes.
Congressional level
Iowa Democrats were largely locked out of power at the national level until the 1930s. No Iowa Democrat served more than one term in the U.S. Senate until Guy Mark GilletteGuy Mark Gillette
Guy Mark Gillette was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from Iowa. In the U.S. Senate, Gillette was elected, re-elected, defeated, elected again, and defeated again.-Personal background:...
was elected in 1936. With Guy Gillette's defeat in 1944 Iowa Democrats wouldn't control a U.S. Senate seat till the election of Harold Hughes in 1969. Since 1985 Democrat Tom Harkin and Republican Chuck Grassley have each held a U.S. Senate seat.
State level
In 1957 Herschel C. LovelessHerschel C. Loveless
Herschel Cellel Loveless was the 34th Governor of Iowa, from 1957 to 1961. He was also mayor of Ottumwa, Iowa. He was born in 1911 in Hedrick, Iowa and died in 1989 in Winchester, Virginia....
would break nearly two decades of Republican control by being elected Governor. Two years later he was reelected to a second term. In 1963 Harold Hughes
Harold Hughes
Harold Everett Hughes was the 36th Governor of Iowa from 1963 until 1969; he had been a Republican earlier in his life. He also served as a Democratic United States Senator from 1969 until 1975.-Background:...
was elected Governor of Iowa and would serve from 1963-1969. On January 1, 1969 Hughes resigned to take the U.S. Senate seat he had just won making his Lieutenant Governor, Robert D. Fulton
Robert D. Fulton
Robert David Fulton briefly served as the 37th Governor of Iowa during the first 16 days of 1969.-Biography:Fulton was born in Waterloo, Iowa. A Democrat, he served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1958 to 1960, followed by a term as a member of the Iowa Senate from 1962 to...
, Governor. Fulton was the last Democratic Governor of Iowa until Tom Vilsack was elected in 1999.
See also
- Political party strength in IowaPolitical party strength in IowaThe following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Iowa:*Governor*Lieutenant Governor*Secretary of State*Attorney General*State Auditor*State Treasurer*Secretary of Agriculture...
- Democratic Party (United States)Democratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
- Republican Party of IowaRepublican Party of IowaThe Republican Party of Iowa is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Iowa. The State Central Committee is led by Chairman Matt Strawn and Co-Chairman Bill Schickel...
- Libertarian Party of IowaLibertarian Party of IowaThe Libertarian Party of Iowa is the Iowa affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The party chair is Ed Wright and the vice chair is Nick Weltha- External links:*...
- Constitution Party of IowaConstitution Party of IowaThe Constitution Party of Iowa is an affiliate party of the national Constitution Party. The party supports strict adherence to the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Iowa Constitution...