A four-way Democratic race for the Iowa House District 45 seat vacated by Rep. Jane Greimann, D-Ames, culminated Tuesday with Beth Wessel-Kroeschell as the Democratic nominee for the general election in November.

According to unofficial poll results, Wessel-Kroeschell captured 62 percent of the Democratic vote, which was nearly double that of the runner-up, Tara van Brederode, who had 32 percent. Shawn Carter received 1 percent of the vote, and Leonard V. Larsen received 4 percent.

“I have very deep roots in this community; they saw I was a qualified candidate,” Wessel-Kroeschell said.

Wessel-Kroeschell’s role as a community activist, ISU alumna and mother, among other things, helped her gain the popular vote, she said. She said much of the credit for her win goes to her campaign staff.

Now that the primary is over, she said she would be taking the rest of the week off to concentrate on other things, including a few important dance recitals.

Van Brederode said she was delighted for Wessel-Kroeschell and said she believed she would do very well.

“This district recognizes the issues and values she’s been working for,” van Brederode said.

Issues important, candidates said, for the general election would include jobs and health care. Van Brederode also stressed “all things that start with ‘e'” for the local level: employment, environment and education.

Wessel-Kroeschell said she has already talked with Democratic organizations such as the Iowa Democrats, Story County Democrats and the ISU Democrats, about strategies for the fall general election.

She said one of her concerns is finding out what issues are important to the student population, which makes up 50 percent of District 45.

“I need to study more and find out what the students would like in their state representative,” she said.

One of her biggest concerns was curbing the sharp increases in university tuition, she said.

Carter congratulated Wessel-Kroeschell and said he was pleased with how clean the campaign was.

Both Carter and van Brederode said they would be actively helping to promote candidates on the Democratic slate in the November general election.

“I think it’s not going to be a cakewalk,” van Brederode said. “We’ll have to work hard not to get sidetracked by talk of fearful things.”

Wessel-Kroeschell said she didn’t know much about her opponent, Republican Randy Woodbury of Ames.

“I think we represent two very different viewpoints,” she said.

Van Brederode said Wessel-Kroeschell was a capable candidate, but said the race wouldn’t be easy.

“He seems like a very serious candidate,” she said.

About 10 percent of registered Democrats in the district voted Tuesday.

Greimann announced that she would not seek re-election in February 2004, after serving as District 45 representative since January 2000. According to Daily staff reports, she said she wanted to get new people in office and also said she had enjoyed her time as part of the Iowa Legislature.