IA Senate News: Jochum will be President, Gronstal stays Majority Leader [View all]

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This is awesome!

DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa Senate Democrats retooled some of their leadership team Sunday by naming Dubuque Sen. Pam Jochum to be the chamber’s next president and pledged to work with Gov. Terry Branstad and minority Republicans over the next two years to get Iowans back to work and grow the economy.

“Now the hard work begins. We have to govern and that’s what we need to be focused on,” said Jochum, 58, a Dubuque Democrat who became the first woman since Sen. Mary Kramer, R-West Des Moines, to be selected by her Senate colleagues to be the Iowa Senate’s presiding officer. She will succeed retiring Sen. Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg.

The 26 Democrats who make up the Iowa Senate’s incoming majority re-elected Sen. Mike Gronstal, 62, of Council Bluffs, to serve as their caucus’ majority leader. They also named Sens. Steve Sodders of State Center to serve as Senate president pro tempore, Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City as majority whip, and Matt McCoy of Des Moines, Wally Horn of Cedar Rapids, Bill Dotzler of Waterloo and Amanda Ragan of Mason City as assistant majority leaders.

“We’re excited that we’re still in the majority and we’ve got a great team,” said Gronstal. He noted that majority Democrats’ main focus during the 85th General Assembly which convenes its 2013 session on Jan. 14 will be to create jobs and grow the Iowa economy.

I am so looking forward to further attempts to Walker/Koch-ize Iowa being Gronstalled