Population (July 2002 est.): 385,691.    - 13.13% of total IA population of 2,936,760.

Political Overview:
Partisanship
Polk County Reg. (Active Jan. 1, 2004): Rep. 70,753 (31.35%)  Dem. 81,809 (36.25%)   NP 73,135 (32.40%)   Total: 225,697.
Total IA Reg. (Active. Jan. 1, 2004): Rep. 584,513 (32.10%)   Dem. 533,107 (29.28%)  Grn. 108   NP 703,106 (38.61%)  Total: 1,820,834.

Representation
Polk County Democratic Elected Officials

State Senators  (Polk County encompasses Senate Districts 30-35 and part of District 21) 34 - Dick Dearden of Des Moines 33 - Jack Hatch of Des Moines 32 - Jack Holveck of Des Moines 31 - Matt McCoy of Des Moines 21 - Dennis Black of Grinnell

State Representatives (Polk County encompasses House Districts 59-70 and part of District 42) 68 - John Connors of Des Moines 66 - Ed Fallon of Des Moines 65 - Wayne Ford of Des Moines 62 - Bruce Hunter of Des Moines 42 - Geri Huser of Altoona 67 - Kevin McCarthy of Des Moines 61 - Jo Oldson of Des Moines 64 - Janet Petersen of Des Moines

County
Supervisor Tom Hockensmith, District 3
Supervisor John Mauro, District 4
Supervisor Angela Connolly, District 5
John Sarcone, Attorney
Michael Mauro, Auditor
Tim Brien, Recorder
Dennis Anderson, Sheriff
Mary Maloney, Treasurer
 

Polk County Democratic Party Polk County Democrats County Chair: Tom Henderson County Vice Chair: Betty Brim-Hunter County Treasurer: Steve Hampton County Secretary: Nita Noble	.

General:

Media Des Moines Register  (Caucus Watch) WOI ABC 5 KCCI CBS 8  (Iowa Caucuses page) WHO NBC 13 KDSM FOX 17 IPTV 11 WHO-AM 1040 The Times-Delphic (Drake University)	.	Useful Links Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau Drake University

The Campaigns in Polk County

Howard Dean Regional Field Director: Dave Inbody Des Moines Organizers: Buffy Wicks - Beaverdale area Courtney Thompson - Southside Jamal Anderson - Westside John Falcicchio - Eastside Steve Louthan - Northside Polk County Organizers: Aaron Sugarman - West Des Moines Joe Huser - Clive, Urbandale, Windsor Heights Kristi Knaack - Ankeny, Grimes, Johnston Mike McGeary - Altoona, Pleasant Hill	John Edwards Regional Field Director: Bill Hyers
John Kerry Regional Field Director: Beth Leonard Field Staff: Erin McDonough Josh Warren Joshua Eickmeier Julie Andreeff Matthew Slutsky Ned Sebelius Rick Barga Zac Palmer Kat Halpenny Charlie Glaudemans Daniel Barton Sara Stephenson Ari Melber

Key Supporters
Titles and affiliations are listed for identification purposes only.  Based on information provided by the campaigns.  These names have not been confirmed; due to the fluid nature of the campaign some activists on earlier lists may have changed their allegiances.
Howard Dean
Rep. Bruce Hunter (District 62-Des Moines)

Ken Rains - DNC member, Des Moines   announced Dec. 10, 2003

Drake University - Bulldogs for Dean, Amy Ronbeck, President

Labor Support (Aug. 28, 2003)
Tom Gillespie - President of the Iowa State Building & Construction Trades Council, Des Moines
Fran Brownell - IBEW Local #55, Des Moines
Bernard Ortiz - Laborers, Great Plains Laborers District Council of Des Moines...initially announced Aug. 5 2003
Alice Clinton Boyd - ISEA, Des Moines  ...initially announced Aug. 5 2003
Patty Graham - executive board member of ISEA, member of NEA, Des Moines ...initially announced Aug. 5 2003
Paul Mann - former chair of ISEA, NEA, Des Moines  ...initially announced Aug. 5 2003
Jon Neiderbach - AFSCME Local #3450, Des Moines
Mike Quijano - United Steel Workers Local # 310, Des Moines  (also on Kucinich list)
Toni Austin - ISEA vice president, Des Moines
Max Knauer - ISEA, Des Moines
Joe Kline - Carpenters Local #106, Des Moines
Kelly Carlson - UAW Local #450, Ankeny
Jeff Halverson - UAW Local #450, Grimes
Kerry Bowen - CWA Local #7102, Des Moines
Larry James, Sr. - AFSCME Local #1868, Des Moines
 

John Edwards
(April 4, May 29 and Aug. 22, '03 and Jan. 8, '04 releases)

Rep. Wayne Ford (District 65, Des Moines)   Jan. 16, 2004 Rep. Geri Huser (District 42, Altoona)   Jan. 8, 2004 Dennis Anderson - Polk County Sheriff, Pleasant Hill   May 29, 2003 (Polk County Coordinator) (State Co-Chairs - Jan. 29, 2003) Rob Tully - Galligan, Tully, Doyle & Reid, P.C. in Des Moines; chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, 1999-2001. Roxanne Conlin - Roxanne Conlin & Associates, P.C., Des Moines; Democratic nominee for Governor, 1982. (April 4, 2003) Don Boulby - retired Teamster, Des Moines Scott Brown - Executive Director of Iowa Trial Lawyers, Des Moines Chris Godfrey - workers' rights attorney and community leader, Des Moines Brad Lint - former Director of Iowa Citizen Action Network, Des Moines Dr. Greg Peterson - physician, Des Moines Alfredo Parrish - civil rights attorney, Des Moines Margaret Stuart - attorney, Des Moines Eric Thomae - President of Drake University Law School Democrats, Des Moines Joan Vonk - retired member of Postal Workers Union, Des Moines Russ Vonk - retired President of Des Moines local Letter Carriers, Des Moines Dave Wiggins - attorney, Des Moines (May 29, 2003) Joseph Barron - activist, Des Moines Romonda Belcher - Assistant Polk County Attorney, Des Moines James Ferguson - activist, Des Moines Sonna Gerkham - activist, Des Moines Lloyd Hughes - activist, Des Moines Laura Larkin-White - activist, Des Moines Sean Larson - activist, Des Moines Janet Lemmerman - activist, Des Moines Betty Manley - activist, Des Moines Eugene Manley - activist, Des Moines Jan Manning - activist, West Des Moines

Lora McCollom - attorney, West Des Moines Maggie Moss - attorney, Des Moines Jodie Sacco - activist, Des Moines Dr. Alan Sisson of Des Moines James Sutton - activist, Des Moines (Aug. 22, 2003) Mark Amadeo - activist, Des Moines Dolores Blount - activist, Des Moines Joyce Borg - activist, Des Moines Richard Borg - activist, Des Moines Lisa Elsbecker - activist, Ankeny Al Flyr - activist, Colfax Jill Flyr - activist, Colfax Joe Gantile - activist, Des Moines Marvin Gay - activist, Des Moines Katie Hicks - activist, Des Moines Norma Keenan - activist, West Des Moines Robert Marks - activist, Urbandale Chris McTurk - activist, Des Moines John Prim - activist, West Des Moines Valerie Pugh - activist, Des Moines Linda Ramirez - activist, West Des Moines Barbara Rowland - activist, Des Moines Dennis Schemmel - activist, West Des Moines Jeremy Smith - activist, Des Moines Betty Smith - activist, Des Moines Harold Smith - activist, Des Moines John Spellman - activist, Urbandale (Jan. 8, 2004) Altoona School Board member Brad Skinner Ed Skinner - attorney, longtime Democratic activist, former member of the Iowa Democratic Party's State Central Committee, and father of State Rep. Geri Huser. Bill Wimmer - attorney (Jan. 15, 2004) Des Moines City Council Member Chris Coleman

Des Moines Register Jan. 11, 2004 Iowa Bystander Jan. 2004 statewide African-American newspaper, editor Jonathan Narcisse.

Dick Gephardt
Sen. Dick Dearden of Des Moines    District Chair-Polk
Rep. John Connors (District 68, Des Moines)    District Chair-Polk

Sharon Dearden - activist, retired IAMA member    District Chair-Polk
Tom Hockensmith - Polk County Supervisor     District Chair-Polk

State Co-Chairs (two of the 10 announced Jan. 6, 2004)
Jean Haugland, Des Moines - former member of the Democratic National Committee; former State Party Vice Chair; statewide Democratic activist
Duane McAninch, Des Moines - founder of the McAninch Corporation, one of the largest contracting companies in the Midwest; Democratic activist

Drake University - Andrea Chase
Drake Law School - Brent Hinders
 

John Kerry
Sen. Jack Hatch of Des Moines
Sen. Matt McCoy of Des Moines
Rep. Janet Petersen (District 64, Des Moines)
Rep. Jo Oldson (District 61, Des Moines)
also Sen. Dennis Black of Grinnell

State Chair
Jerry Crawford-Des Moines attorney who has chaired the Polk County Democrats.  He was state chair for Dukakis in 1988 and worked on the Mondale, Clinton, and Gore presidential campaigns.
 
More State Leadership (Oct. 9, 2003)
Willie Glanton - Former State Representative    (State Co-Chair)
David Hurd - President of the Board for Iowa Environmental council    (State Co-Chair)
Tom Baccam - Leader in the Des Moines Asian American community
Connie Boesen - Des Moines School Board Member
Harry Bookey - Business and civic leader   (Kerry Polk County Chair)
Angela Connolly - Polk County Supervisor
Peggy Huppert - Former Polk County Chair and Executive Director of Chrysylis
Debbie Neustadt - Sierra Club
Virginia Petersen - activist
John Sarcone - Polk County Attorney   (Kerry Polk County Chair)

Veterans for Kerry (Aug. 26, 2003)
State Co-Chairs
Jack Dewey, Des Moines   ...Air Force, WWII.
John Feller, Des Moines   ...Merchant Marines, WWII; Navy, Korea.
Central Regional Director
Mark Wallace, Des Moines    ...Army; National Guard.
Polk County Chair
Alexander McIntyre, Des Moines    ...Army, WWII.

Labor Support (Aug. 18, 2003)
Tracy Conner - Union Representative, AFSCME Council 61
Gerald Ott - retired, National Staff Union (Iowa State Education Association)
Lee Thielmann - Plumbers & Pipefitters

and
Ako Abdul-Samad - prominent community activist(Jan. 17, 2004)
 

Dennis Kucinich
Rep. Ed Fallon (District 66, Des Moines)

Kucinich Campaign Draws Support of Diverse Group of Iowans (Jan. 16, 2004)
LaVon and Craig Griffieon - family farmers, Ankeny
Chet Guinn - retired minister; board member of STAR-PAC, Des Moines
Jane Magers - long-time peace and community activist, Des Moines
Maggie Rawland - president, Des Moines branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Midge Slater - CWA, Des Moines
Wilbur Wilson - former COPE chair, Steelworkers Local 310; organizing chair, South Central Federation of Labor, Des Moines

Rank and File Iowa Labor for Kucinich (Sept. 1, 2003)
Larry Bailiff - COPE Committee, Steelworkers Local 310, Des Moines
Greg Cross - UE International Representative, Des Moines.
Jim Martens - COPE Committee, Steelworkers Local 310, Des Moines
Jeremy Maske - Steward, AFGE Local 836, Des Moines
Mike Quijano - Steward/COPE committee, Steelworkers Local 310, Des Moines  (also on Dean list)
Shane Shook - President, AFSCME Local 3450, Des Moines
Midge Slater - CWA, Des Moines
Bob Straker - President, AFSCME Local 35, Des Moines
Wilbur Wilson - COPE Chair, Alternate Steward, Steelworkers Local 310; Organizing Chair, South Central Federation of Labor, Des Moines
 

Joe Lieberman
Attorney General Tom Miller - became Iowa Attorney General in 1978, re-elected to a sixth term in 2002; a friend of Lieberman's from his time as Connecticut Attorney General, 1982-88.   ...announced May 10, 2003
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (District 67, Des Moines)
Paulee Lipsman - House Democratic director, ex-DNC member.
Tim Brien - Polk County Recorder.
Steve Wandro - Des Moines attorney.
Som Baccam - Des Moines School Board member.
Jo Corigliano - chair, South Des Moines Revitalization Partnership.
Ray Blase - Bureau Chief, Polk County Attorney's Office.
Laura Sands - Des Moines School Board member.
 
 

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Copyright © 2003, 2004 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.