Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
Sam Brownback’s departure from the presidential race Friday places two Republican state Senators up for grabs in the legislative endorsement sweepstakes. Brownback had support from Senators Mark Zieman and Nancy Boettger.
Other than that departure, the only activity on the Republican endorsement from is from retiring state Rep. Sandy Greiner of Washington County, who endorsed Fred Thompson at his Coralville rally Oct. 3.
The Republican score, now with stacks of little elephants:
| Total | House | Senate | |
| Romney | 16 | 12 | 4 |
| McCain | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Giuliani | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Huckabee | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Brownback | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Thompson | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cox | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hunter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keyes | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tancredo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Uncommitted (so far) | 34 | 27 | 7 |
| Total | 67 | 47 | 20 |
To help you keep score at home:
| Name | District | Home County | Endorsement |
| Sen. Mark Zieman | Senate District 8 | Allamakee | Brownback |
| Sen. Nancy J. Boettger | Senate District 29 | Shelby | Brownback |
| Sen. E. Thurman Gaskill | Senate District 6 | Hancock | Giuliani |
| Sen. Mary Lundby | Senate District 18 | Linn | Giuliani |
| Sen. Jeff Angelo | Senate District 48 | Union | Giuliani |
| Sen. David Hartsuch | Senate District 41 | Scott | Huckabee |
| Rep. Dwayne Alons | House District 4 | Sioux | Huckabee |
| Rep. Carmine Boal | House District 70 | Polk | Huckabee |
| Sen. John Putney | Senate District 20 | Tama | McCain |
| Sen. Larry McKibben | Senate District 22 | Marshall | McCain |
| Sen. Pat Ward | Senate District 30 | Polk | McCain |
| Rep. Mike May | House District 6 | Dickinson | McCain |
| Rep. Bill Schickel | House District 13 | Cerro Gordo | McCain |
| Rep. Steven Lukan | House District 32 | Dubuque | McCain |
| Rep. Rod Roberts | House District 51 | Carroll | McCain |
| Rep. Walt Tomenga | House District 69 | Polk | McCain |
| Sen. Dave Mulder | Senate District 2 | Sioux | Romney |
| Sen. David Johnson | Senate District 3 | Osceola | Romney |
| Sen. Brad Zaun | Senate District 32 | Polk | Romney |
| Sen. James F. Hahn | Senate District 40 | Muscatine | Romney |
| Rep. Dave Deyoe | House District 10 | Story | Romney |
| Rep. Tami Wiencek | House District 21 | Black Hawk | Romney |
| Rep. Chuck Soderberg | House District 3 | Plymouth | Romney |
| Rep. Ralph Watts | House District 47 | Dallas | Romney |
| Rep. Dave Tjepkes | House District 50 | Webster | Romney |
| Rep. Christopher Rants | House District 54 | Woodbury | Romney |
| Rep. Jodi Tymeson | House District 73 | Madison | Romney |
| Rep. Linda Miller | House District 82 | Scott | Romney |
| Rep. Steven Olson | House District 83 | Clinton | Romney |
| Rep. Rich Anderson | House District 97 | Page | Romney |
| Rep. Greg Forristall | House District 98 | Pottawattamie | Romney |
| Rep. Doug Struyk | House District 99 | Pottawattamie | Romney |
| Rep. Sandy Greiner | House District 89 | Washington | Thompson |
| Sen. Jerry Behn | Senate District 24 | Boone | |
| Sen. Steve Kettering | Senate District 26 | Sac | |
| Sen. Ron Wieck | Senate District 27 | Woodbury | |
| Sen. James A. Seymour | Senate District 28 | Harrison | |
| Sen. Larry Noble | Senate District 35 | Polk | |
| Sen. Paul McKinley | Senate District 36 | Lucas | |
| Sen. Hubert Houser | Senate District 49 | Pottawattamie | |
| Rep. Royd Chambers | House District 5 | O’Brien | |
| Rep. Henry Rayhons | House District 11 | Hancock | |
| Rep. Linda Upmeyer | House District 12 | Hancock | |
| Rep. Chuck Gipp | House District 16 | Winneshiek | |
| Rep. Pat Grassley | House District 17 | Butler | |
| Rep. Dan Rasmussen | House District 23 | Buchanan | |
| Rep. Kraig Paulsen | House District 35 | Linn | |
| Rep. Dawn Pettengill | House District 39 | Benton | |
| Rep. Lance Horbach | House District 40 | Tama | |
| Rep. Polly Granzow | House District 44 | Hardin | |
| Rep. Gary Worthan | House District 52 | Buena Vista | |
| Rep. Dan Huseman | House District 53 | Cherokee | |
| Rep. Clarence Hoffman | House District 55 | Crawford | |
| Rep. Matt Windschitl | House District 56 | Harrison | |
| Rep. Jack Drake | House District 57 | Pottawattamie | |
| Rep. Clel Baudler | House District 58 | Adair | |
| Rep. Dan Clute | House District 59 | Polk | |
| Rep. Libby Jacobs | House District 60 | Polk | |
| Rep. J. Scott Raecker | House District 63 | Polk | |
| Rep. Jim Van Engelenhoven | House District 71 | Marion | |
| Rep. Rich Arnold | House District 72 | Lucas | |
| Rep. Betty De Boef | House District 76 | Keokuk | |
| Rep. Jeff Kaufmann | House District 79 | Cedar |   ; |
| Rep. Jamie Van Fossen | House District 81 | Scott | |
| Rep. Tom Sands | House District 87 | Louisa | |
| Rep. Dave Heaton | House District 91 | Henry | |
| Rep. Cecil Dolecheck | House District 96 | Ringgold |
There’s been more activity on the Democratic side, as several legislators have endorsed recently. Barack Obama is only one legislator behind Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden continues to lead on the House side.
| Total | Senate | House | |
| Clinton | 16 | 9 | 7 |
| Obama | 15 | 6 | 9 |
| Biden | 11 | 1 | 10 |
| Edwards | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| Dodd | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Richardson | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Uncommitted | 29 | 10 | 19 |
| Total | 83 | 30 | 53 |
| Name | District | Home County | Endorsement | 2004 Endorsement |
| Sen. Dr. Joe M. Seng | Senate District 43 | Scott | Biden | none |
| Rep. McKinley Bailey | House District 9 | Hamilton | Biden | new |
| Rep. Doris Kelley | House District 20 | Black Hawk | Biden | new |
| Rep. Roger Thomas | House District 24 | Clayton | Biden | Kerry |
| Rep. Polly Bukta | House District 26 | Clinton | Biden | Dean |
| Rep. Dick Taylor | House District 33 | Linn | Biden | Kerry |
| Rep. Lisa Heddens | House District 46 | Story | Biden | Kerry |
| Rep. Kevin McCarthy | House District 67 | Polk | Biden | Lieberman |
| Rep. Jim Lykam | House District 85 | Scott | Biden | none |
| Rep. John Whitaker | House District 90 | Van Buren | Biden | Gephardt |
| Rep. Mike Reasoner | House District 95 | Union | Biden | Lieberman |
| Sen. William A. Dotzler, Jr. | Senate District 11 | Black Hawk | Clinton | Gephardt |
| Sen. Roger Stewart | Senate District 13 | Jackson | Clinton | Kerry |
| Sen. Michael Connolly | Senate District 14 | Dubuque | Clinton | Kerry |
| Sen. Wally E. Horn | Senate District 17 | Linn | Clinton | none |
| Sen. Dennis H. Black | Senate District 21 | Jasper | Clinton | Kerry |
| Sen. Dick L. Dearden | Senate District 34 | Polk | Clinton | Gephardt |
| Sen. Staci Appel | Senate District 37 | Warren | Clinton | new |
| Sen. Becky Schmitz | Senate District 45 | Jefferson | Clinton | new |
| Sen. Gene Fraise | Senate District 46 | Lee | Clinton | none |
| Rep. Roger Wendt | House District 2 | Woodbury | Clinton | Kerry |
| Rep. Mark Kuhn | House District 14 | Floyd | Clinton | Gephardt |
| Rep. Swati Dandekar | House District 36 | Linn | Clinton | Kerry |
| Rep. Paul Bell | House District 41 | Jasper | Clinton | Kerry |
| Rep. Mary Mascher | House District 77 | Johnson | Clinton | Kerry |
| Rep. Vicki Lensing | House District 78 | Johnson | Clinton | none |
| Rep. Cindy Winckler | House District 86 | Scott | Clinton | Dean |
| Sen. Jeff Danielson | Senate District 10 | Black Hawk | Dodd | new |
| Sen. Tom Hancock | Senate District 16 | Dubuque | Dodd | new |
| Rep. Ray Zirkelbach | House District 31 | Jones | Dodd | new |
| Sen. Daryl Beall | Senate District 25 | Webster | Edwards | Dean |
| Sen. Keith A. Kreiman | Senate District 47 | Davis | Edwards | Edwards |
| Rep. Wes Whitead | House District 1 | Woodbury | Edwards | Gephardt |
| Rep. Andrew Wenthe | House District 18 | Fayette | Edwards | new |
| Rep. Ro Foege | House District 29 | Linn | Edwards | Edwards |
| Rep. Art Staed | House District 37 | Linn | Edwards | new |
| Rep. Geri Huser | House District 42 | Polk | Edwards | Edwards |
| Rep. Nathan Reichert | House District 80 | Muscatine | Edwards | new |
| Rep. Kurt Swaim | House District 94 | Davis | Edwards | Edwards |
| Sen. Steve Warnstadt | Senate District 1 | Woodbury | Obama | Kerry |
| Sen. Rich Olive | Senate District 5 | Story | Obama | new |
| Sen. Bill Heckroth | Senate District 9 | Bremer | Obama | new |
| Sen. Robert E. Dvorsky | Senate District 15 | Johnson | Obama | Gephardt |
| Sen. Tom Rielly | Senate District 38 | Mahaska | Obama | new |
| Sen. Frank Wood | Senate District 42 | Scott | Obama | new |
| Rep. Pam Jochum | House District 27 | Dubuque | Obama | Kerry |
| Rep. David Jacoby | House District 30 | Johnson | Obama | Kerry |
| Rep. Tyler Olson | House District 38 | Linn | Obama | new |
| Rep. Mark Smith | House District 43 | Marshall | Obama | Kerry |
| Rep. Donovan Olson | House District 48 | Boone | Obama | Kerry |
| Rep. Helen Miller | House District 49 | Webster | Obama | Gephardt |
| Rep. Janet Petersen | House District 64 | Polk | Obama | Kerry |
| Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad | House District 66 | Polk | Obama | new |
| Rep. Elesha Gayman | House District 84 | Scott | Obama | new |
| Sen. John P. "Jack" Kibbie | Senate District 4 | Palo Alto | Kerry | |
| Sen. Amanda Ragan | Senate District 7 | Cerro Gordo | none | |
| Sen. Brian Schoenjahn | Senate District 12 | Fayette | new | |
| Sen. Rob Hogg | Senate District 19 | Linn | none | |
| Sen. Herman C. Quirmbach | Senate District 23 | Story | none | |
| Sen. Matt McCoy | Senate District 31 | Polk | Kerry | |
| Sen. Jack Hatch | Senate District 33 | Polk | Kerry | |
| Sen. Joe Bolkcom | Senate District 39 | Johnson | Dean | |
| Sen. Thomas G. Courtney | Senate District 44 | Des Moines | Gephardt | |
| Sen. Michael E. Gronstal | Senate District 50 | Pottawattamie | none | |
| Rep. Marcella Frevert | House District 7 | Palo Alto | Dean | |
| Rep. Dolores Mertz | House District 8 | Kossuth | none | |
| Rep. Brian Quirk | House District 15 | Chickasaw | Kerry | |
| Rep. Bob Kressig | House District 19 | Black Hawk | new | |
| Rep. Deborah Berry | House District 22 | Black Hawk | Kerry | |
| Rep. Tom Schueller | House District 25 | Jackson | new | |
| Rep. Pat Murphy | House District 28 | Dubuque | none | |
| Rep. Todd Taylor | House District 34 | Linn | none | |
| Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell | House District 45 | Story | new | |
| Rep. Jo Oldson | House District 61 | Polk | Kerry | |
| Rep. Bruce Hunter | House District 62 | Polk | Dean | |
| Rep. Wayne Ford | House District 65 | Polk | Edwards | |
| Rep. Rick Olson | House District 68 | Polk | new | |
| Rep. Mark Davitt | House District 74 | Warren | Kerry | |
| Rep. Eric Palmer | House District 75 | Mahaska | new | |
| Rep. Dennis Cohoon | House District 88 | Des Moines | Edwards | |
| Rep. Philip L. Wise | House District 92 | Lee | Lieberman | |
| Rep. Mary Gaskill | House District 93 | Wapello | Kerry | |
| Rep. Paul Shomshor | House District 100 | Pottawattamie | Lieberman |
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter