Covering Iowa Politics, Government
Democrats nominate Running-Marquardt in House 33
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 by James Q. Lynch.
CEDAR RAPIDS — Linn County Democrats have nominated Kirsten Running-Marquardt to run in a special election Nov. 24 in House 33 where a vacancy was created by the resignation of Rep. Dick Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids earlier this month.
Kirsten Running-Marquardt
Running-Marquardt, 32, works in 2nd District Rep. Dave Loebsack’s Cedar Rapids office, and has been involved in a number of political and union campaigns. A second-generation candidate, she is the daughter of former Cedar Rapids Rep. Rich Running.
She was selected at a special nominating convention Wednesday, defeating Norm Sterzenbach, 63, on the first ballot, 5,407 to 3,866. Each precinct delegate cast weighted ballots. Sterzenbach is a longtime Democratic and union activist. He’s second vice chairman of the county party has been a lobbyist for the IBEW at the State Capitol. He’s also the father of Iowa Democratic Party Executive Director Norm Sterzenbach.
Running-Marquardt will face off a Republican to be nominated Thursday night. So far, three Republicans have expressed interest in the seat despite the fact Taylor won re-election in 2008 with nearly 70 percent of the vote. They are Ken Childress, Josh Thurston and John King.
House 33 that covers Precincts 1-11 in southeast and southwest Cedar Rapids.
First elected in January 2000 to replace current Cedar Rapids Mayor Kay Halloran, Taylor was re-elected five times. He had been planning to stand for re-election in 2010, but family health concerns changed those plans, Taylor said.
CRinIA
29. Oct, 2009
Its Marquardt, not Marquard
joesy
29. Oct, 2009
The Democrats are done. Burnt – Toast – Stickem with a fork. They are ruining this Country and bringing the US down so far, our Childrens Grandchilden will be paying for the idiocracies.
lobosolo
29. Oct, 2009
a few things strike me as funny.
1. women with hyphenated names are usually the most bitter women on the planet, way to go democrat party.
2. I think at this point, judging by her picture I might drop the "Running" name from Kirsten Running-Marquard and save us some snickering.
its kind of like Chet Culver driving a honda FIT…
RockMom1
29. Oct, 2009
So all women with hyphenated names are bitter? That's a sweeping statement.
When you don't have an argument, start calling people names. That'll show 'em. She's 32, I'm sure you could think of an insult for that. House 33? How about some comments about how she should stay in her house, where women belong. Come on, if you're going to lob insults, do it with some finesse, or at least be thorough.
It's so much easier to insult someone than it is to comment on the substance of the article. Maybe it hurt your head to think beyond insults.
lobosolo
29. Oct, 2009
oh sorry Rock- Mom1….. yes all women with hyphenated names are bitter, angry and or resentful that society asks them to take their husbands name.
i don't make the rules, i just report them.
RockMom1
29. Oct, 2009
Ha! Maybe you should get out of your mom's basement more, not all women hate you, just that one that you are still bitter about.
Women aren't property of their husbands anymore. You are right in that when they were, considered property, society required them to take their husband's last name. Now it's a choice. If you prefer ownership to partnership, I'm sure there is someone out there to accommodate you, but it will be her choice.
earthdog
01. Nov, 2009
Lobo never has any good points and therefore needs to resort to meaningless babble.
PDT
30. Oct, 2009
I would never trust or vote for a woman that has a hyphenated name. Call it "Old School" or whatever, but it just strikes me as being wrong.
RockMom1
01. Nov, 2009
For the record, I took my husband's last name. I regret that now, because professionally, I have had to earn my reputation all over again. Men don't have to go through that, they are who they for their entire lives, whereas women who change their name really have two different identities. And that is very regrettable.
What is the name you have? How does it identify who you are as a person? This is a very personal and philosophical question. A woman's identity should not be lost when she is married. She continues to exist as a person, but has been delegated to a position of property. You write your name in a book, you brand an animal, and that's how people know you own it. The woman you commit your life to, who commits her life to you, changes her name to yours, and it's the same affect. It might be more of a commitment if both partners change their name to a hyphenated version of their names.
It's an odd cultural relic.
ctiger
02. Nov, 2009
I call it being backward and insecure.
TaxedtoPlay
29. Oct, 2009
A loyal union man dumped for a brie eating elitist who will tell you how to run your life. How well will that play in District 33?
RockMom1
29. Oct, 2009
I don't understand your comment. Who is the loyal union man? Who is the brie eating elitist?
ctiger
02. Nov, 2009
That's like calling an American a processed cheese eating elitist.
lobosolo
29. Oct, 2009
i think he is saying Norm Sterzenbach is the old union man, they dumped him for a politically connected elitist's kid. which is funny, i thought the republicans were the ones who did this, so much for that "workin man" label.
RockMom1
29. Oct, 2009
I'm pretty sure they aren't an elitist family. Do you know any of them? Aren't they mostly teachers and people who have worked in public service? Is it unheard of that the children of someone who wanted to serve in public office might want to do the same as adults?
Kirsten worked on behalf of unions as well, making sure those hard working voices were heard. How is being an advocate for the union workers an anti-union stance?
It hurts the process when people make sweeping generalization like you are doing, locosolo.
A crazy thought I'm having: find out about the issues and where each candidate stands.
TaxedtoPlay
29. Oct, 2009
Show me the current union card.
gardbr
31. Oct, 2009
I only know this woman from what she had done for me to honor a loca home town man who wrote and passed some of the most history changing legislation this nation has seen, and he was a conservative. she didn't question the origin of the request, only the value and nature of the action. and she did it with high regard for the individual. i once spoke with her during a somewhat governmental and political announcement and she was pleasant, but had to continue in her efforts to complete the needs of the day.
RockMom1
01. Nov, 2009
Could you share the experience you are talking about? I'm curious about this now. What kind of legislation?
gardbr
01. Nov, 2009
it was for U.S. Congressman James E. Bromwell from Cedar Rapids IA, who spent three years in writing and seeing the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. the pen which Lyndon Johnson used to sign was framed and on display at the funeral service. as a friend, when he passed a couple of months ago, i was informed that Congressman Loebsack should be contacted to inquire if it would be possible to have his record read and written into the Congressional Record and have Loebsack respond and reply to Bromwell's family. she arranged all of this and got a flag for the family.
RockMom1
02. Nov, 2009
Thank you for sharing that. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. It's shows a lot of character that you worked hard to get this honor for him. Now that I have this information, I'm going to Google to find more, and learn more about the history of Congressman's Bromwell's efforts. Thank you gardbr.
gardbr
02. Nov, 2009
i forgot to inform you that she also attended the Saturday morning service which was at Whittier, to insure that all had been arranged to the satisfaction of the family and myself.
RockMom1
02. Nov, 2009
Thank you so much for sharing your story. You took a risk posting this, considering you were likely to get flamed by people who come here simply to insult others. That shows as much about you as your story does about Kirsten.
RockMom1
02. Nov, 2009
That's just, wow. I don't know how far Whittier is from Cedar Rapids, but I do know Kirsten has a family, and having a family myself, I'm not sure I'd have been able to be as committed to helping out people I don't know on a Sunday, when I could be spending time with my family. Thank you for sharing with us all. Under the fire of misplaced misogyny, this is a touching story that you did not have to share, lest you come under that fire yourself. I think it tells the readers of these boards what kind of person you are, as much as it does what kind of person she is.