Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has endorsed Assistant Attorney General Nathan Blake in the Democratic primary to represent Iowa Senate district 17. State Senator Jack Hatch is running for governor rather than seeking re-election in that heavily Democratic seat. Blake, former State Senator Tony Bisignano, and former State Representative Ned Chiodo are competing in the Democratic primary. No Republican has filed to run for the seat covering much of downtown Des Moines and the south side of the capital city (this post includes a detailed map). Several organized labor groups are backing Bisignano. Chiodo’s supporters include U.S. Senator Tom Harkin.

After the jump I’ve posted Miller’s statement, which the Des Moines Register published as a letter to the editor on May 10. I’ve also enclosed Blake’s biography.

While Miller’s public support for the assistant attorney general covering consumer protection is no surprise, it will likely enrage Chiodo. In a court challenge to Bisignano’s eligibility, Chiodo argued that Miller should have recused himself from the three-member panel that originally cleared Bisignano to run for office despite an aggravated misdemeanor. Chiodo’s court filing asserted that Miller had a conflict of interest, since Blake potentially would benefit from two heavyweights of south-side politics splitting the primary vote.

A Polk County District Court judge rejected that argument, and the Iowa Supreme Court did not rule on whether Miller should have recused himself when five justices determined Bisignano was eligible to run for office.

Any comments about the Senate district 17 race are welcome in this thread. From what I’ve heard, Chiodo was the first to go negative (against Bisignano) in direct mail. I encourage Bleeding Heartland readers who live in the district to save campaign flyers or mail pieces and, if possible, send me scanned copies: desmoinesdem AT yahoo.com . Before the June 3 primary, I plan to post an overview of key arguments for and against each candidate. I am encouraging my friends in the district to vote for Blake. Not only is Blake capable and progressive, I think the Iowa Senate has plenty of long-serving elected Democrats and would benefit from some new blood.

Blake’s official bio also notes that if elected, he “would be the first Latino to serve in Iowa’s legislature.” Two Latina Democrats are running for the statehouse this year as well: Maria Bribriesco against Senator Roby Smith in Senate district 47, and Karyn Finn against Republican incumbent Walt Rogers in House district 60. CORRECTION: Bleeding Heartland user Mitch notes in the comments that I forgot to mention Maria Rundquist, a Latina who is one of two Democrats challenging incumbent Rick Bertrand in Iowa Senate district 7.

Tom Miller’s letter to the editor in the May 10 edition of the Des Moines Register:

On June 3, Democratic voters in Des Moines’ Senate District 17 will nominate a successor to Sen. Jack Hatch. The best candidate for Iowa’s working families is Assistant Attorney General Nathan Blake.

Nathan has an impressive history in public service. After working on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008, Nathan helped oversee anti-hunger programs for Secretary Tom Vilsack at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He now represents the state as an assistant attorney general in consumer protection, where he takes on businesses that defraud or harm Iowa consumers.

As attorney general, I have worked side-by-side with Nathan on some of Iowa’s most important consumer-protection cases. Nathan has proven himself to be a hardworking, ethical and talented advocate for the people of Iowa. I am excited that he wants to take those qualities and knowledge to the Statehouse.

Nathan Blake has the right experience for the job, and I know he will be an effective champion for working families as your state senator.

From the “About Nathan” page of Blake’s campaign website:

Nathan Blake is running for State Senate to make sure our government works for all Iowans–not for special interests. He believes that public service is the best opportunity a community has to improve the lives of individuals. This conviction guides Nathan’s work fighting for consumers in the Iowa Attorney General’s office. And it’s what led Nathan to trade a high-paying job in corporate law to work as an Iowa caucus campaign organizer for Barack Obama in 2007.

As an Assistant Iowa Attorney General in Consumer Protection, Nathan works in a law enforcement capacity to protect Iowans from deceptive and unfair business practices and to hold criminals accountable for their fraud. He prosecutes cases ranging from local auto repair scams to complex, nationwide financial crimes.

Before working for the Iowa Department of Justice, Nathan served under Secretary Tom Vilsack at the United States Department of Agriculture in the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services agency. Nathan worked on anti-hunger policy, helping oversee nearly $100 billion of federal nutrition assistance programs that touch one in four Americans, including expectant mothers; infants and children in child care and school; and low-income families going to food banks, farmers’ markets, and local supermarkets.

Nathan began his career practicing law at the Belin firm in downtown Des Moines before joining then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Over the course of the 2008 campaign, Nathan listened to thousands of Iowans’ concerns and hopes about the future and helped activate a grassroots campaign that propelled Senator Obama to the White House.

Nathan is a passionate advocate of Des Moines and will work to ensure all Iowa’s communities are growing and thriving in the 21st century. He is an active member of his community and serves on the Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association Board, the Polk County Democratic Central Committee, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Local 307. Nathan was a member of the Iowa Commission on Latino Affairs from 2005 to 2008, where he helped establish state standards for foreign language interpretation. He would be the first Latino to serve in Iowa’s legislature.

The son of two teachers, Nathan graduated from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, before earning a law degree and a Masters in Ethics from Yale University. Nathan is married to his high school sweetheart, Andrea, who is a nurse practitioner in hospice care. They have a three-year-old daughter, an eight-month-old son, and an energetic golden retriever. The Blake family (minus the dog) worships at Plymouth Congregational Church in Des Moines.