Democrat Jim Mowrer
Democrats have
finally landed a legitimate candidate to take on GOP Rep. David Young in Iowa's 3rd District, and it's a name you might recognize: Jim Mowrer, an Iraq vet who ran against Rep. Steve King last year in the neighboring 4th District. Mowrer ran a creditable race against King and actually outraised the incumbent with a $2.1 million haul, but the 4th is a decidedly conservative seat—it went for Mitt Romney by a 53-45 margin. Simple demographics plus the Republican wave protected King from his own notoriously big mouth, and he beat back Mowrer 62-38.
But the 3rd favored Barack Obama by a 51-47 spread, and Young's not a strong fundraiser. Mowrer also brings some good connections to the race: He says he was inspired to run a second time by the death of Beau Biden, a friend of his from the time they served together overseas. Mowrer also hinted that Joe Biden himself might have encouraged him to run, saying "I'll keep any conversations between the vice president and I between him and I." There is still the question of carpetbagging, though, as Mowrer only recently moved to Des Moines.
And some local Democrats are still holding out hope for someone they think would be a stronger alternative, U.S. Attorney Nick Klinefeldt. It's usually very hard if not impossible to get a read on whether people in that position are interested in running, since their jobs forbid them from making public political forays. But according to Roll Call, Klinefeldt previously "suggested he was not going to run," and an anonymous "Iowa Democratic operative" tells Politico that Klinefeldt told him there was "no chance" he'd make a bid.
Meanwhile, back in the 4th District, Democrats have landed someone willing to take another go at King, O'Brien County Democratic Party chair Kim Weaver. Weaver does not have any elected experience, though she is a member of the state party's Central Committee. She'll need King to really do a number on himself in order to have a chance here, but that's something you can't ever rule out with this guy.