Essential Estrogen

If the crowd at the announcement reception for Rep. Swati Dandekar is any indication, her upcoming pursuit of a seat in the Iowa Senate will continue to be as bipartisan as her past successes in House District 36.

Dandekar's special guest at the reception in a Cedar Rapids home was Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal. He told those in attendance that Dandekar's run had both his blessing and his support.

"I can't tell you how excited I am to have Swati running for a seat in the Iowa Senate," Gronstal said at the Oct. 18 reception. "I'm serious. There was something said before about how many more Democratic members do we want in the Iowa Senate. Thirty-one -- and this is the 31st seat. We want to win this seat. It is the next one on our list."

Gronstal added that he's pleased with the Democrats currently serving in the Senate and that he and the leadership plan to bring back those incumbents.

"That's how we do it," he said. "We don't come in and say that there are six places where we have a chance and then spread resources out to all six of the places. We come together, see the seats we have and ask who's going be our next. Once we have enough resources to insure that one will be there, then we look to see who's going to be next.

"As you know, we now have 30 seats in the Senate. Swati is going to make that 31. We are committed to this race."

The Democrat from Council Bluffs also joked about being warned that there would be Republicans at Dandekar's reception.

"Both my parents were Republicans," he said. "I came from a long line of Republican bankers. I was 14-years-old before I knew damn Democrat was two words."

Dandekar explained to Gronstal and to the nearly 100 people who came to the reception that she has been able to be successful and work for Iowa because of the support of her friends in the district.

"Senator, these are my friends and they are always there for me," she said. "That's why I love Iowa. Fifteen years back we had a chance to move to Florida and I told [my husband] that I was not leaving Iowa. He said 'But you left India for me.' So I told him that once was enough. I am not leaving Iowa. I tell everyone that Iowa is really my home. My friends are my family here."

Dandekar has represented Marion and the surrounding area in the Iowa legislature since 2002. She was the first Indian born American citizen in the United States to win a state legislature seat. Shortly after Sen. Mary Lundby announced in late July that she would not run for re-election in Senate District 18, Dandekar announced she would launch a bid for the Senate. Lundby will pursue election to the Linn County Board of Supervisors.

In a telephone conversation this morning, Senate Minority Whip Mark Zieman of Postville said that only one person on the Republican side had thus far launched a public bid for the seat. Marion banker Joe Childers has announced that he will seek election and has created a website as a part of his bid.

"I know of the one, but I'm not sure if others have also expressed interest in the seat," said Zieman, who admits he's been more focused on harvesting his crops than he has on politics. "We're going to have a meeting next week and I should know more after that."