Democrat-turned-Republican Brian Moore announced yesterday that he will seek a second term in the Iowa House, setting up a re-match with Democrat Tom Schueller in the new district 58.
Moore’s 2010 victory in the old House district 25 was notable for three reasons. First, Moore won the general election as a Republican after having run in the Democratic primary to represent Senate district 13 six months earlier. Second, no Iowa House seat won by a Republican last year skewed more heavily Democratic than the old district 25. Third, Moore defeated an incumbent who had not even faced a general-election opponent in 2008.
The new Iowa House district 58 covers all of Jackson County, a large area in Jones County (but not the two largest towns, Anamosa and Monticello), and two rural Dubuque County townships.
The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald published Moore’s campaign announcement on November 27. Excerpt:
Moore has taken on numerous leadership roles during his first term in the House. He is the vice chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals committee and also serves on the House Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Labor and Ways and Means committees.
“It’s time Iowa employers get the tools they need to begin hiring again and moving our state forward. We must find bold ways to spark our economy and signal that Iowa is once again open for business,” said Moore. “I look forward to continuing my work to get government out of the way so Iowa businesses can grow and be successful.”
Moore is a life-long Jackson County resident and farmer. He graduated from Maquoketa Community Schools prior to attending Kirkwood Community College, where he earned his associate degree in ag business. In addition to farming, Moore owns and operates Elwood Trucking, a livestock transportation business. He is an active member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Otter Creek. He also is a member of the Jackson County Cattlemen’s Association, the Iowa Farm Bureau, the Bellevue Marquette Booster Club, the Maquoketa Optimist Club, the Maquoketa FFA Alumni and Maquoketa Booster Club Alumni.
Brian and his wife, Kim, a teacher at Marquette Catholic High School in Bellevue, are the parents of eight children, one daughter-in-law and one grandson.
Moore’s Optimist Club experience should come in handy during his re-election campaign, because he is probably facing the steepest uphill climb of any Iowa House incumbent. As of April 2011, the new district 58 contained 8,461 Democrats, 4,359 Republicans, and 8,119 no-party voters.
Schueller announced his candidacy in the district earlier this month. Most of the electorate in the new House district 58 lives in Jackson County, and Schueller has a strong base of support in Maquoketa, the county seat and the House district’s largest town. In fact, Schueller carried Jackson County against Moore in 2010 despite the poor Democratic turnout rate (pdf). Provided that Schueller works hard, presidential-year GOTV should put him over the top against Moore. If Iowa House Democrats can’t get this seat back, they should expect to spend the next decade in the minority.
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