Iowa governor sets special election date for Senate District 35, Cournoyer’s vacated seat
By SARAH WATSON – Quad City Times, Davenport, Iowa (TNS)
Voters in parts of Scott, Clinton and Jackson counties will vote Jan. 28, 2025, in a special election for their state senator, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Monday.
Former senator for District 35, Chris Cournoyer, was sworn in a week ago as the state’s new lieutenant governor. Cournoyer resigned her senate seat at that time.
Candidates wanting to run for the seat have until Jan. 14, 2025, to file their paperwork, Iowa Secretary of State spokesperson Ashley Hunt Esquivel wrote in an email. Candidates may be nominated by special convention of one of the political parties or collect signatures and file as a no-party candidate.
Already, at least one person has announced the intention to run for the seat. Mike Zimmer, president of the Central DeWitt School Board, announced he planned to seek the Democratic nomination for the special election.
For special elections, absentee voting begins “as soon as ballots are available but not earlier than 20 days prior to the election,” Hunt Esquivel wrote.
Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins anticipates having early voting available in-person at the county administration building starting Jan. 16, she wrote in an email.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Jan. 28 for Election Day.
Voters can send in ballot requests now, but Tompkins warned mail-in ballots for the special election will have a tight turnaround.
Mailed ballots may not be sent out until Jan. 17 or later, Tompkins wrote, and must arrive in the auditor’s office by the time polls close on Jan. 28.
“I encourage voters to take this into consideration as they make their voting plans,” Tompkins wrote.
Cournoyer, a Republican from LeClaire, was first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. There’s still two years left in the term representing the district, which includes Clinton, DeWitt, Camanche, Wheatland, Maquoketa and Princeton.
In Clinton County, where the bulk of the district is located, a new auditor will take office in the new year. Republican David Troester defeated Democrat Eric Van Lancker in the November election.
In an emailed announcement of his intent to run, Zimmer said he pledged to champion eastern Iowa’s public schools.
“I’m running for the state senate to bring bold, people-first solutions to the statehouse — solutions that ensure our public schools are stronger, wages are better and working families have the stability and tools to thrive in today’s economy,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer and his wife, Tammy, have five children and 10 grandchildren. Zimmer is an active member of St. Ann Catholic church in Long Grove and a third degree Knight of Columbus. He’s also a volunteer driver coordinator for Humble Dwellings, a nonprofit that supplies beds and furnishes living spaces for people who need it.
Iowa Senate Democrats, in a statement, called the upcoming special election “a pivotal moment for eastern Iowa to send a clear message: enough is enough.”
“This election allows voters to demand bold leadership and real solutions to move Iowa forward. It’s about electing a senator who will fully fund our schools, grow Iowa’s middle class and fight for a fair deal for every family — not just the wealthy few,” the statement reads. “While we wait to see who the Democratic nominee will be, the Senate Majority Fund is wasting no time organizing in preparation for this election to move Iowa forward and tackle the challenges Iowa families face head-on.”
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