So much election news

So much election news

Many things on the Iowa scene in the last 24 hours...

Probably the big news is the departure of manager Andrew Roos from the Culver/Judge(?) campaign team after just three months. On the record all is cordial, but off the record who knows? The Register had the scoop and comment speculation ranges from rat deserting a sinling ship to the lousy dating pool for a single guy in Des Moines. No, really.

On the other side of the ballot another one bites the dust as Christian Fong bails on the governor race after the money dries up. It doesn't change the dynamic of the race much, except for saving Ed Failor some Iowans for Tax Relief Money to spend on someone else. Governor may have been a stretch for the first race but we'll see Fong again, perhaps when district lines shuffle in 2012. Who quits next: Rod Roberts or Jerry Behn? My bet is Roberts, who as a House member has to give up his seat. Behn is a mid-term senator.

Dave Hartsuch of Davenport didn't have to give up his Senate seat to challenge Bruce Braley, but he who lives by the primary challenge (knocking off Maggie Tinsman in 2006) may die by the primary challenge.

Speaking of Braley, that trip with Roxanne Conlin was an endorsement after all. It's mentioned as part of Bleeding Heartland's further wrapup of campaign events, which I'm trying to not overlap too much.

In local events, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines had their runoffs. If Iowa City had a runoff instead of a primary, we could have saved an election. But then, Des Moines elected a 23 year old which is more than Iowa City could manage.