(Dubuque, IA) Attorney Daniel Dlouhy won the Republican nomination in Iowa House District 99 during a special nominating convention held on Monday, July 28th in Dubuque. Dloughy is a practicing attorney, who graduated from Emmaus Bible College and Drake University Law School. Dloughy and his wife homeschool their children.
“I’m pleased that Daniel will be a candidate for the Iowa House this fall. As a small business owner, father and community activist, Daniel is uniquely qualified to represent the people of Dubuque in the Statehouse,” Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) told Caffeinated Thoughts yesterday afternoon.
Dlouhy is running against Abby Finkenauer who beat attorney Steve Drahozal in the Democratic primary in June by 300 votes. Finkenauer, a 24-year-old single, first served as a page in the Iowa House under then Speaker Pat Murphy (D-Dubuque) in 2007. Because of Murphy’s bid for U.S. Congress, after winning the Democratic primary in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, Iowa House District 99 is an open seat.
Finkenauer also served three years in the Iowa House as a clerk, most recently for State Representative Todd Taylor (D-Cedar Rapids). Finkenauer said that she was convinced to run for the Iowa House during a One Iowa legislative reception by Democratic members of the Iowa House and Senate.
Democrats hold a strong voting registration edge over Republicans of approximately 3800 registered voters. This district has been safe territory for Democrats so Dlouhy has an uphill climb. The Iowa Secretary of State’s office reports that the latest voter registration numbers are 8790 Democrats, 4974 Republicans and 7056 independents.
Caffeinated Thoughts was unable to reach Dlouhy for comment about the race, but will update this story when contact is made.