Iowa voters would be allowed to choose party nominees for elected office in a runoff election if the results of a party primary were inconclusive under a bill advanced Thursday by an Iowa Senate subcommittee. Senate File 10 is proposed by state Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale. He finished first in last June’s primary among six candidates who sought the Republican Party nomination in Iowa’s 3rd District race for Congress, but he ultimately lost his bid for the race. Because no candidate received 35 percent of the vote in the primary, the decision on the GOP’s nomination for Congress was sent to a district convention of about 500 Republican activists. They selected David Young of Van Meter, a former top aide to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who subsequently won election to Congress in November, even though he placed fifth in the primary.
The proposed legislation says that in cases where no candidate secures at least 35 percent of the primary vote, as required under current Iowa law, the two top vote getters would square off in a run-off election four weeks later. The winner of the runoff would be the nominee.
The bill now heads to the Senate State Government Committee, where it could be considered as early as next week. Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Cedar Falls, the committee chairman, said he strongly supports the proposal.
Full Article: Iowa Senate panel OKs primary election runoff bill.