Primary elections are here: who’s who and how to vote

The June 5 midterm primaries will narrow each political race to one
candidate per party to compete in the general election in November.

Voters will decide party nominees for the races for governor, U.S.
House of Representatives, Iowa House and Senate, state offices such as
Secretary of State and Secretary of Agriculture, and local offices.

More than 40,000 Iowans have
cast ballots; early and absentee voting began May 7 for the primaries.

How do I vote?

Polling locations will be open statewide from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 5,
in which voters will be able to register to vote and cast ballots.

The Secretary of State’s website
provides an online database to search for polling locations based on
people’s addresses.

If not registered yet, voters need to register on site before they can
cast a ballot. To register, voters need photo
IDs and of Iowa residence, such as utility bills, paycheck tubs, or
lease agreements.

Iowa is one of three states that permit
people to register if they are 17-and-a-half years old and will be 18
by the time of the election.

Do I need my ID?

This is the first election year after the Iowa Legislature passed
a requirement for voters to
show identification at the polls.

Voters will be asked to show their identification at the polls for the
primaries and November’s general election.

This year only, however, if voters don’t bring state-issued IDs, they
will be able to cast ballots after signing oaths verifying their
identity.

Starting in 2019, voters must show either Iowa driver’s licenses, Iowa
non-operator’s IDs, U.S. passports, military or veteran’s IDs, or
voter IDs issued by the state for registered voters who don’t have the
forms of identification listed above.

Who’s on the ballot for governor?

Here’s what you need to know about candidates running for the highest
office in the state.

Incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, will win (unopposed) in the
primary to run against the Democrat of the five candidates who wins
the Democratic primary.

State Sen. Nate Boulton’s name will remain on the ballot for governor
despite suspending his campaign after
sexual-misconduct allegations surfaced. The March 21 deadline to withdraw
candidacy had passed.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is running for a full term
this November after becoming the state’s 43rd governor following
former Gov. Terry Branstad’s departure to become the U.S. ambassador
to China. She’s the only Republican running for candidacy in the June
primary, securing her a spot in the November general election to run
against the Democratic candidate, who will be decided after polls
close June 5.

A native Iowan from St. Charles, her top priorities have been creating
good-paying jobs, cutting taxes, investing in public schools, and
increasing opportunity in every part of Iowa, says her campaign
website.

Cathy Glasson, D

Cathy Glasson is a Coralville nurse and the
president of SEIU Local 199, a union chapter that represents
health-care workers at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics,
among other kinds of employees.

Glasson’s campaign centers on raising Iowa’s minimum wage to $15 per
hour, implementing a statewide universal health-care system and
providing an easier path to unionization. In order to reflect a
commitment to her values, Glasson’s staff were the first
in this gubernatorial race to unionize.

Fred Hubbell, D

Retired business executive Fred
Hubbell has invested the most money among
the Democratic hopefuls in the primary, mostly out of his own pocket.
The UI College of Law graduate touts his management and business
experience as assets to run a fiscally sound
state budget. Hubbell was the CEO of insurance company Equitable Iowa
and was a past chair of the retail store Younkers and the Iowa Power
Fund.

His priorities include investing in education and workforce
development, as well as patching the mental-health and substance-abuse
systems.

Andy McGuire, D

A physician from Des Moines, Andy McGuire is a past health-insurance
executive and a former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. Coming from
a background focused on healing, McGuire’s top priorities include
ensuring that all people receive comprehensive mental and physical
health care.

She is also a proponent of increasing school funding, combating water
pollution, and encouraging rural economic-development strategies.

John Norris, D

Former state and federal official John Norris brings experience in
governmental staff leadership and agriculture policy to priorities
centered on building a bridge between rural Iowa and the Democratic
Party. The Montgomery County native served as the chief of staff for
Gov. Tom Vilsack, as a U.S. agricultural representative in the United
Nations, and a commissioner on the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission.

The small-operation-farmer’s top policy points focus on sustainable
agriculture, reversing the privatization of Medicaid, and developing
childhood education and insurance programs.

Ross Wilburn, D

Former Iowa City Mayor Ross
Wilburn is the current diversity officer and the associate
program director for Community and
Economic Development for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
He brings a background centered on municipal leadership, and he
prioritizes advocating for education funding, affordable health care,
and restoring collective-bargaining rights.

How about local candidates?

Four Democratic candidates will compete for the Senate District 37
seat, which includes western Iowa City and Coralville.

Held now by 20-year Sen. Bob Dvorsky, who will retire, the open seat prompted four
candidates to vie for the spot.

UI graduate and
LGBTQ advocate 26-year-old
Zach Wahls, former U.S. diplomat Janice Weiner, lawyer and former government
official Eric Dirth, and financial
analyst Imad Youssif will be on the
ballot for representing Cedar County and parts of Johnson and
Muscatine Counties.

The Democratic nominee will face Libertarian candidate Carl Krambeck
in November, though the June 5 primary will likely be a strong
indicator for who will ultimately win the seat.

The Daily Iowan

The Daily Iowan

The Daily Iowan

Primary elections are here: who’s who and how to vote