Following up on my previous diary here, there will be a special election in Iowa House district 90 on September 1. It’s a Democratic-leaning district in voter registration, but it’s largely rural. The Republican Party of Iowa is letting two conservative interest groups run Jefferson County supervisor Stephen Burgmeier’s campaign operation.

Burgmeier’s site lists three contacts for volunteers, inlcuding Mark Doland, who is on the Iowa Family Policy Center’s payroll as chief candidate recruiter.

You may remember the Iowa Family Policy Center, which organized a petition drive in April to pressure county recorders not to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The issues page on Burgmeier’s campaign website doesn’t talk about same-sex marriage, but Burgmeier is on record supporting legislative action to overturn the Iowa Supreme Court ruling, which matches the agenda of Iowa Family Policy Center Action (the group’s political wing).

The special election in district 90 won’t change the balance of power in the Iowa House, but it is the first statehouse election since the Iowa Supreme Court announced the Varnum v Brien decision in April.

You can donate to or sign up to volunteer for Democratic candidate Curt Hanson here.