Wieck named top Republican in Iowa Senate
By Dan Gearino Journal Des Moines Bureau | Posted: Saturday, September 15, 2007
DES MOINES -- Sen. Ron Wieck, a Sioux City Republican, is the new Senate minority leader.
His election Friday means the two most powerful Republicans at the Legislature are from Sioux City. He joins House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, whose district covers a portion of Wieck's district.
Republican senators chose Wieck over Sen. Paul McKinley of Chariton. The vote occurred during a closed-door meeting that stretched on for three hours.
Wieck, 63, takes the helm of a group that is outnumbered by Democrats 30-20 and riddled with internal divisions. He said the party will come together with the shared goal of regaining control of the Senate. "Our agenda is to return to the majority," he said.
Wieck is a confidante of the previous leader, Mary Lundby of Marion. Lundby announced in July that she would step down from the leadership because she wasn't planning to run for re-election in 2008.
Senate Republicans have had little unity for the past year. Last November, seven conservative senators, led by McKinley, walked out of a party meeting to show their disapproval.
Wieck immediately reached out to the seven on Friday by naming one of them, Sen. Mark Zieman of Postville, as minority whip, a position that is essentially the leader's top deputy. "This is a sign of unity," Zieman said, standing next to Wieck. "We're coming together, and we're going to work together for the common cause."
Wieck said Republicans will show a clear contrast with Democrats on taxes, spending and gay marriage. He said the Democratic majority is pursuing an "anti-Iowa agenda."
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Council Bluffs Democrat, issued a statement congratulating Wieck. "Sen. Wieck's voting record suggests that he is capable of crossing party lines to support bipartisan solutions and to set aside partisan bickering in the best interest of our great state," Gronstal said.
In addition to Wieck and Zieman, the Republican leadership team includes Nancy Boettger of Harlan, David Johnson of Ocheyedan, Larry McKibben of Marshalltown and Pat Ward of West Des Moines.
Boettger, like Zieman, was one of the senators who participated in the walkout. She said Friday that the tension among Republicans stems from the circumstances of Lundby's rise to the leadership. Lundby came to power when her colleagues voted to oust her predecessor, Stewart Iverson of Clarion, in the closing days of the 2006 legislative session.
"That left some scars," Boettger said.
Rants, the House minority leader, said he's pleased to have a fellow Sioux City resident as a top leader. In recent years, House and Senate Republicans have clashed, something Rants thinks is less likely now. "If Ron and I can't get the House and Senate Republicans together, nobody can," he said.
Wieck is serving his second term in the Senate. His district covers Cherokee County and parts of Plymouth and Woodbury counties. Outside the Legislature Wieck is an insurance agent. He is married, with two sons and six grandchildren. He was born and raised in Hinton, a town in his Senate district.
Dan Gearino can be reached at 515-243-0138 and dan.gearino@lee.net.
His election Friday means the two most powerful Republicans at the Legislature are from Sioux City. He joins House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, whose district covers a portion of Wieck's district.
Republican senators chose Wieck over Sen. Paul McKinley of Chariton. The vote occurred during a closed-door meeting that stretched on for three hours.
Wieck, 63, takes the helm of a group that is outnumbered by Democrats 30-20 and riddled with internal divisions. He said the party will come together with the shared goal of regaining control of the Senate. "Our agenda is to return to the majority," he said.
Wieck is a confidante of the previous leader, Mary Lundby of Marion. Lundby announced in July that she would step down from the leadership because she wasn't planning to run for re-election in 2008.
Senate Republicans have had little unity for the past year. Last November, seven conservative senators, led by McKinley, walked out of a party meeting to show their disapproval.
Wieck immediately reached out to the seven on Friday by naming one of them, Sen. Mark Zieman of Postville, as minority whip, a position that is essentially the leader's top deputy. "This is a sign of unity," Zieman said, standing next to Wieck. "We're coming together, and we're going to work together for the common cause."
Wieck said Republicans will show a clear contrast with Democrats on taxes, spending and gay marriage. He said the Democratic majority is pursuing an "anti-Iowa agenda."
Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, a Council Bluffs Democrat, issued a statement congratulating Wieck. "Sen. Wieck's voting record suggests that he is capable of crossing party lines to support bipartisan solutions and to set aside partisan bickering in the best interest of our great state," Gronstal said.
In addition to Wieck and Zieman, the Republican leadership team includes Nancy Boettger of Harlan, David Johnson of Ocheyedan, Larry McKibben of Marshalltown and Pat Ward of West Des Moines.
Boettger, like Zieman, was one of the senators who participated in the walkout. She said Friday that the tension among Republicans stems from the circumstances of Lundby's rise to the leadership. Lundby came to power when her colleagues voted to oust her predecessor, Stewart Iverson of Clarion, in the closing days of the 2006 legislative session.
"That left some scars," Boettger said.
Rants, the House minority leader, said he's pleased to have a fellow Sioux City resident as a top leader. In recent years, House and Senate Republicans have clashed, something Rants thinks is less likely now. "If Ron and I can't get the House and Senate Republicans together, nobody can," he said.
Wieck is serving his second term in the Senate. His district covers Cherokee County and parts of Plymouth and Woodbury counties. Outside the Legislature Wieck is an insurance agent. He is married, with two sons and six grandchildren. He was born and raised in Hinton, a town in his Senate district.
Dan Gearino can be reached at 515-243-0138 and dan.gearino@lee.net.
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