GOP Convention Thursday in Senate Special

GOP Convention Thursday in Marion Senate Special

Things are moving fast in the Battle of Marion. Republicans will meet Thursday night to choose their nominee in the November 8 special election to replace Swati Dandekar and, they hope, tie the state Senate.

Three names have emerged in public and TheIowaRepublican had good profiles of each:

Cindy Golding, current co-chair of the Linn County GOP (why why WHY do Iowa Republicans call their number two post "CO-chair"?!? You either have a chair and a vice chair or you have a pair of co-chairs, but no, the GOP calls it "chair" and "co-chair.")

Businesswoman Mary Rathje: "While Governor Branstad has not publically endorsed any candidate, it is rumored that Rathje is his candidate of choice." Sister in law of perennial primary loser Steve Rathje, now seen running against Bruce Braley.

Former US Attorney Matt Dummermuth: Harvard Law, just like Barack Obama. (Health care for the entire universe? Even Osama bin Laden?)

Just as interesting as the ins, the outs: "Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson, former U.S. Senate nominee Chris Reed, and Linn County activist Todd Henderson all told TheIowaRepublican.com that they would not be seeking the nomination." From the moment the Dandekar resignation hit the net, I had assumed Oleson was lined up already. He's been rumored to be planning a run against Dandekar already. WRONG!

I have no clue on the status of the deciders: Linn GOP central committee in the Old Senate 18 precincts. Remember these are folks who were elected either at the microscopic turnout 2010 caucuses (yes, Iowans caucus in gubernatorial years) or chosen by the party committee to fill vacancies. Who showed up? The regulars? The Ron Paul folks? Team BVP? The platform nerds? People who don't care about things like "Branstad is rumored to favor"?

(And I can't say this enough, would-be cross-overs: conventions like this are a very important reason to caucus in your own party.)

Meanwhile, if the rumor mill is to be believed, Democrats have lined up a strong candidate with extremely high name ID. Stay tuned.