Larry Noble was elected to the Iowa Senate in 2006.  He won that race by 1274 votes.  In doing so, he became the lone member of the Republican freshman class in the Senate that year.  Iowa Democrats didn’t challenge Noble in his 2010 re-election campaign, even if they had it is likely that Noble would have been easily elected.

Earlier this month, Governor-Elect Terry Branstad selected Noble to be the commissioner the Department of Public Safety.    Noble is well qualified for his new position, but in selecting Noble, Branstad also created a vacancy in the State Senate, necessitating a special election in Senate District 35.

Nobel’s 2010 campaign was a sleepy one, but the campaign to be his replacement looks like it’s going to be a barnburner.  Currently there are five individuals actively seeking the Republican nomination.  The slate of candidates is as diverse as it is large.

Here is a snap shot of the candidates.

Jim Gocke
Attorney at Block, Lamberti, Gocke & Ahlman, P.C. in Ankeny
Home: Bondurant
Age: 56

Note: One of Gocke’s law partners is Jeff Lamberti.  Lamberti held the Senate Seat until he ran for Congress in 2006.

Matt DeVries
Electrical Engineer
Home: Ankeny
Age: 32

Note: DeVries is an active member of the Campaign for Liberty.  TheIowaRepublican.com has been told that the four Campaign for Liberty members who serve on the Republican Party State Central Committee are actively supporting DeVries.

Kevin Koester:
Director of Community Education for Ankeny Community Schools
Current State Representative
Home: Ankeny
Age: 56

Note:  If Koester is the Republican nominee and wins election to the State Senate, a special election would be needed to fill his seat in the Iowa House.

Kent Kramer
Financial Planner at the Foster Group
Former State Representative
Home: Johnston
Age: 48

Note: Kramer served one term in the Iowa House from 2002 to 2004.  He represented House District 69, which is currently being represented by Erik Helland.  Kramer is also the son of Mary Kramer, the former President of the Iowa Senate and U.S. Ambassador to Barbados.

Jack Whitver
Business Owner, Acceleration Iowa
Second Year Drake Law Student
Iowa Barnstormers Assistant Coach
Home: Ankeny
Age: 30

Note: Whitver and his wife just had their first child last week.

The special nominating committee will convene on December 30th.  The special election will be held on January 18^th.  Just 42 Republican delegates will decide the nominee.  With such a small group of electors, it is impossible to handicap the race.

Update:

The likely Democrat nominee is Matt Pfaltzgraf, who Koester beat in his 2008 State House campaign