It's Beginning to Sink In

November 7th, 2006 has come and gone. So many worked so hard in getting to that date.....we were like children anticipating Christmas and at times we thought it would never arrive.

Public education emerged as the big winner! At the head of the class is ISEA-recommended candidate Chet Culver who was overwhelming elected as Iowa's next governor. A former high school government and history teacher and coach, Chet Culver will be the nation's first governor to have taught school within the last 20 years.

And in a stunning victory, pro-public education candidates also took over both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly! In the House, Representative Pat Murphy of Dubuque (pictured at left) will become the next Speaker of the House. Joining Speaker Murphy in the Iowa House are the following newly elected members of the majority party:

McKinley Bailey, District 9
Andrew Wenthe, District 18
Doris Kelley, District 20
Art Staed, District 37 (Jr. High Social Studies teacher/ISEA member)
Tyler Olson, District 38
Ako Abdul-Samad, District 66
Eric Palmer, District 75
Elesha Gayman, District 84

In the Iowa House, 54 of the 72 ISEA recommended candidates were elected for a 75% win.

In the Iowa Senate, state Senator Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs will become the next Majority Leader and Senator Jack Kibbie of Emmetsburg, the Senate President. Pictured with Majority Leader Gronstal and Senate President Kibbie are (left to right) Becky Schmitz of Fairfield(retired AEA/ ISEA member); Bill Heckroth of Waverly; Gronstal; Staci Appel of Ackworth; Rich Olive of Story City; Kibbie; and Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids.

In the Senate, 19of the 22 recommended candidates won for an 86% success rate.