When Iowa House Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Raecker announced plans to retire from the legislature after this year’s session, he created an opening for Democrats in what would have otherwise been a hopeless district. Follow me after the jump for background on the new House district 40 and the two men who will compete to succeed Raecker.

The new House district 40 covers the large suburb of Urbandale in Polk County:

According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, House district 40 contained 6,732 Democrats, 8,188 Republicans, and 5,780 no-party voters as of March 2012 (pdf). That’s a very different electorate from most competitive districts in Iowa, where no-party voters typically have a plurality.

Raecker has represented this area in the Iowa House since the 1998 election, and Urbandale hasn’t been a hospitable environment for Democrats in my lifetime. (Former State Senator Jack Holveck managed only because his Senate district included part of western Des Moines.) Raecker revealed in January that he didn’t plan to seek another term in the House. Instead, he will focus on his work as executive director of the non-profit Character Counts in Iowa.

Democrat John Forbes announced his candidacy in mid-February.

Urbandale City Councilman John Forbes announced today that he will run for state representative in District 40. Forbes is also a pharmacist and owner of the Medicap Pharmacy in Urbandale.

“As owner of a local pharmacy for over 30 years, I understand how important small businesses are to our economy and I will do all I can in the Iowa House to help other small businesses expand to create new jobs,” said Forbes.  “Now more than ever, our state needs strong leaders who will put politics aside and work together to do what’s best for Iowa.”

Forbes is a member and Past President of the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the Urbandale Library Foundation Board. He has served as President of the Iowa Pharmacy Association and is a member of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Advisory Committee.  Forbes received the 2011 Heroes of the Heartland award from the American Red Cross and also helped organize Honor Flights to take veterans to the WWII Memorial in Washington DC.

“It’s a great honor serving the people of Urbandale on the city council and I’m ready to serve them in the Iowa House,” added Forbes, who also serves on Iowa’s Medicaid Medical Advisory Committee.  “We need a state legislature more in-tune with the daily lives of Iowans and I will bring together people on both sides of the aisle to find common ground.”

Forbes and his wife, Cindy, have two grown children and are members of St. Pius X Catholic Church in Urbandale.

Notice that the press release from the Iowa House Democrats did not mention Forbes’ party affiliation. You’d never guess that a small business owner and past president of both the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and the Iowa Pharmacy Association was a Democrat. Even his name sounds Republican, though John Forbes is no relation to the conservative magazine publisher and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes.

Forbes was first elected to the Urbandale City Council in 2005 and now serves as Mayor Pro Tem. All of the council members are elected at-large, so he has campaigned city-wide. Local elections are non-partisan in Iowa, so Forbes wouldn’t have introduced himself to voters as a Democrat. Clearly he won’t embrace the Democratic brand in this race either. To my knowledge, Forbes does not have a campaign website yet.

The only Republican to file nominating papers in House district 40 is Mike Brown, who graduated from high school the same year Raecker won his first term. Brown got into the race in early February, and his campaign website declares private sector job growth, removing government regulations and cutting “wasteful spending” as top priorities. From his official bio:

Mike is an Iowan with Iowa Values! From the time he was a child, Mike has understood and embodied a strong work ethic, competitive spirit, sense of duty, obligation, service, and the pursuit of excellence. Mike will never forget his commitment and responsibility to the people he hopes to represent. Mike is person of Faith. He is Pro-Life and a strong believer in Family Values. Mike will serve us well in the Iowa Legislature!

Mike was born and raised in Iowa. He graduated from the University of Iowa, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2002. Upon graduation, Mike elected to serve his country and enlist in the United States Air Force.

Mike set his sights high by joining the ranks of Special Operations Forces as a Pararescueman. Upon completion of his training, Mike was deployed multiple times overseas, including Afghanistan and parts of Africa.

Returning to Iowa, Mike then served his local community as an EMT/Paramedic. His medical training and service to others took on a new inspiration. Starting from a garage, Mike took his passion for health and fitness and established a business, CrossFit Des Moines, with locations in Urbandale and Waukee.

Urbandale, with its excellent schools and great Iowa traditions is the perfect place to raise a family. Mike and his wife Kelli are looking forward to their family growing up in this community. “I want to take an active part in serving your family as well as mine in this district.”

“I look forward to meeting the people of District 40 and I promise a hand to hand campaign,” said Brown. “Whether it was my service in the military, or my time as an EMT, I have always had a passion for public service. I believe in giving my best at all times. I look forward to serving the people of Urbandale and District 40 at the statehouse.”

Brown has a solid resume for a legislative candidate. Many state lawmakers from both parties are veterans. Brown’s stump speech hits familiar notes: running a small business taught him about hard work, creating jobs, and managing a budget.

Still, I was expecting a more experienced Republican to emerge in this district before the filing deadline. Forbes’ public service and work for various Urbandale organizations give him higher name recognition and more connections. Brown’s not going to be able to coast on the GOP voter registration advantage in House district 40.

I will say this for Brown: as Iowa statehouse candidate websites go, his is pretty good. He even lists the new voting locations for each Urbandale precinct.

Any relevant comments are welcome in this thread.