Kraig Paulsen resigned as speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives earlier this year and he will not run for re-election in his suburban Cedar Rapids seat. An election to replace a former speaker is interesting in its own right, but a new candidate could bring statewide attention to the race.
KCRG morning anchorwoman Ashley Hinson* left the TV station just last week, and this week announced her plans: She’s going to run for Paulsen’s seat, House District 67, as a Republican.
House 67 (PDF) contains the cities of Hiawatha and Robins, the northwest part of Marion, and Cedar Rapids east of Council Street and north of Collins Road. It is also one of the two House districts that make up Liz Mathis’ Senate district. As in, former KCRG/KWWL anchorwoman and now Democratic state senator Liz Mathis.
Those two women aren’t the only Iowa TV people to get into politics: Tami Wiencek served one term in the 2000s representing part of Waterloo as a Republican.