Pederson Elected Head of Iowa Democratic PartyWaterloo/Cedar Falls Courier
DES MOINES (AP) -- The Iowa Democratic Party chose Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson Saturday as its new leader. Pederson becomes chairwoman immediately.... The Democratic State Central Committee convened to replace Des Moines lawyer Gordon Fischer, who is stepping down from the post.
[Pederson] is expected to face huge challenges, the foremost of which is preserving Iowa's first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses. A party commission is studying the primary calendar.
Losing those caucuses would deal a blow to both parties, which have used the national attention drawn by the Iowa Caucuses to build party operations that are among the best organized and financed in the nation.
She will also face bitter feelings that linger after Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry lost the state, while some of the party's state candidates successfully defeated Republicans for legislative seats. Some Democrats were unhappy about how money allocated to Iowa from the Democratic National Committee was spent.
The Central Committee also chose Rob Tully of Des Moines as first vice chairman and Sara Swisher of Iowa City as second vice chairwoman. Jim Hutter of Ames is the committee secretary and Ken Sagar of Des Moines is treasurer.
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