While the primary election today will eliminate a few candidates (in particular for Mayor and three Alderman positions in Davenport) many of the municipal and some school board elections on November 5th in Scott County are probably already determined because so many of the elected positions did not have enough candidates to force an elimination or primary round or are unopposed. It is too late to mount anything but a write-in campaign for unopposed positions or alternatives to the soon to be set field where only one political party is “represented”.
Today’s election and the general election on November 5th are supposedly non-partisan so some might say Republicans or Democrats party operatives need not pursue encouraging or supporting candidates. Davenport Democrats do not believe that so it is only true if Republicans do not mind having the city’s affairs governed by the competencies and predilections of Democrats (and the same for schools).
It might be said that the party registrations of the candidates will tend to follow the party registration of the governing unit as a whole. That may be true elsewhere except for Davenport city and Davenport schools. Davenport has ten city council members (8 ward aldermen and 2 aldermen-at-large ) and a weak mayor who votes in the case of a tie. The current city line-up shows that seven of the aldermanic positions are held by Democrats three by Republicans and a no-party mayor. Seventy percent to thirty percent is not the party registration ratio quite yet.
The Alderman-at large positions will not change after the November election as there are but the two incumbents running for the two positions, one is Republican the other Democrat. Wards 1,2, 7 and 8 will be filled by Democrats as that is all that are running in those ward elections (barring a write-in vote by a Republican which is tough to win but should be helped). Two are uncontested period and four uncontested by Republicans.
Davenport Wards 3, 4, 5, and 6 are contested. A Democrat holds the 3rd Ward and is running again but does not have a Republican opponent (unless the No-Party candidate ops to register as one).
Republican Ray Ambrose holds the 4th Ward and is running. Today’s primary could eliminate the two Republicans running, exalt them or provide a two-party contest next month. We hope Ambrose prevails.
Ward 5 is now held by Democrat Rawson who is running for mayor. It is possible a Republican could emerge there as 3 of the 6 running in the primary are Republican.
Ward 6 is contested with the incumbent a Democrat but the ward should be competitive so Republican challenger Jobgen can win and we of course hope he does.
Democrats look to hold six of the Davenport City Council positions even before today’s primary — as in Wards 1,2, (likely 3), 7, 8 and one of the at-large. It would be a nice cap off for Democrats to have the mayoral position as well with the possibility of 7 even 8 of the council members if Republicans do not get out and vote.
The possibility of that mayoral cap to the Democrat council cake in Davenport brings up the involvement of the company Victory Enterprises on behalf of one of the leading Democrats in that race – Dan Portes.
The company has notoriously, scandalously if you ask us, received a huge share of Republican Party of Iowa related coffers over the years for its various electioneering enterprises. Its track-record with state-wide candidates includes Mark Jacobs who spent gobs of money with them and still lost with less that 17% of the primary vote in 2014. Their list of Iowa Presidential caucus candidates wannabees includes the now obscure with no wins places or shows in our memory. Any presumption about “VE” having their finger on the pulse of Republican voters might more accurately be thought of as bloodletting, with all the attendant beneficence. Local Republican candidates who contribute to the company’s bottom line should be embarrassed for their exercise of “fiscal discipline” in that it is just not that hard to save money elsewhere with excellent results.
The company’s reputation in some quarters of being a “Republican” consultancy is also tarnished by “VE’s” running or assisting in various tax and spend referendums and the like over the years. Its real consultancy it seems is with corporate big-government and spend-a-lot interests. Appropriately then it is involved as the campaign consultant to registered Democrat Chamber of Commerce guy Portes, he also of the registered Democrat Shawver spousalhood. Together they are ACT Blue donors and through it a myriad of “progressive” causes and candidates. As we mentioned yesterday Portes has been a direct donor to the campaigns of Fred Hubbell, Rita Hart, Bill Braley, Jack Hatch, Tom Miller and Richard Clewell. Wife Judy Shawver is an Obama and Hillary supporter among others of that ilk. Portes is the type of candidate Victory Enterprises frequently chooses to advance.
According to the most recent campaign disclosure report for Democrat Portes of $22,632 expended almost 97% of it has gone through Victory Enterprises. You can read more about Victory Enterprises by toggling “Shameful” on our page bar above.
R Mall
