Knapp campaigning for Senate seat vacated by Ernst

Iowa Republicans will select their candidate to fill a vacancy in the Iowa State Senate during a special nominating convention 7 p.m. Thursday at the Clarinda Lied Center, 1140 E. Main St.

The candidate chosen Thursday will be placed on the ballot for the special election Dec. 30, which was set after U.S. Senator-elect Joni Ernst submitted her resignation from the Iowa state Senate in November.

Ringgold County Auditor Amanda Waske said additional nominations can be brought to the floor the evening of the convention.

Nominees

Currently, there are seven Republican nominees vying for the position — Mark Costello of Imogene, Cara Morgan of Hamburg, Seth Watkins of Clarinda, Dave Sieck of Glenwood, Margaret Stoldorf and Charla Schmid of Red Oak, and Tracee Knapp of Redding.

Knapp, who announced her candidacy for Iowa State Senate Dec. 1, said her goal is to be a voice for Iowans living in small towns at the state level.

“I understand the struggles they go through,” Knapp said. “I want to see the area thrive, not just survive.”

Knapp said improving the livelihood of all families is her priority, particularly in small towns. Her goal is to improve infrastructure, such as roads, and ensure all Iowans have access to education and jobs.

“We have some declining school enrollment and economic devleopment,” Knapp said.

Knapp considers herself an experienced advocate with a strong business sense. Knapp and her husband Steve own and operate a cattle operation with more than 200 head near their hometown. Additionally, Knapp has been serving Iowans as a fulltime counselor at Children and Families of Iowa, a non-profit human services agency headquartered in Des Moines. Knapp and her husband have been married almost 21 years and have four children.

This is Knapp’s first run for public office. She is the secretary of the Ringgold County Republican Party and has served as a delegate to county and state conventions. In 2012, Knapp was an alternate delegate for the GOP national convention. In the same year, Branstad appointed her to the Judicial Nominating Commission.

Special election

A special election will be held in Senate District 12 on Dec. 30, two weeks before the new legislative session begins. It is unknown at this time if the Republican candidate will run unopposed. Democratic or alternate party candidates seeking the seat have until Dec. 16 to file the proper paperwork.

The state Senate district covers six southwest Iowa counties – Fremont, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Ringgold and Taylor.