Dave Loebsack
David Wayne Loebsack is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he also is an emeritus professor of political science at Cornell College, where he had taught since 1982.
On April 12, 2019, Loebsack announced he would not seek reelection.
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed Services
- *Subcommittee on Military Personnel
- *Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- *Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
- *Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Cement Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- '''Afterschool Caucuses'''
Political campaigns
2006
In 2006, Loebsack narrowly defeated 15-term Republican incumbent Jim Leach in one of the biggest upsets of the cycle. Loebsack was nominated by a special convention of the 2nd District after failing to get the required number of signatures to be on the primary ballot. Since there was no one qualified for the ballot, the convention was called to determine the nomination. The 2nd had been trending Democratic for some time, and was considered the most Democratic-leaning district in the state. It was taken for granted that Leach would be succeeded by a Democrat once he retired, but he was not considered particularly vulnerable due to his moderate voting record, popularity, and longtime incumbency. Loebsack won largely by running up an 8,395-vote margin in Johnson County, home to Iowa City.2008
Loebsack was easily reelected in 2008, taking 57 percent of the vote over Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a doctor from Ottumwa and the former president of the state medical society.2010
Loebsack faced Miller-Meeks again in 2010 and had a much more difficult time of it than he had two years earlier. He prevailed with only 51% of the vote, largely by running up a 13,900-vote margin in Johnson County. Terry Branstad easily carried the district in his successful bid to reclaim the governorship. Chuck Grassley carried every county in the district except Johnson; in fact, Johnson was the only county Grassley lost in his bid for another term.2012
After redistricting moved Loebsack's longtime home in Mount Vernon to the 1st District of fellow Democrat Bruce Braley, Loebsack moved to Iowa City in the reconfigured 2nd. The redrawn district is less Democratic than its predecessor; it regained Davenport, which had been the anchor of the 2nd and its predecessors for decades before being shifted out of the district in the 2000s round of redistricting.Loebsack won the election with 55.4% of the vote. His Republican opponent, John Archer, got 42.5%; Alan Aversa, an Independent candidate, received 2.2%. Braley won the 1st district with 56.9% of the vote.