Tracy Runkel captured the Democratic nomination in the race for Iowa House District 10 Tuesday with 71 percent of the vote.

After defeating Erik Christian, Runkel will now challenge Rep. Jim Kurtenbach, R-Nevada, the incumbent in District 10.

“It’s time Democrats regain control of the statehouse,” said Jan Bauer, Story County Democrats chairwoman. “They’ve been shut out systematically by Republicans.”

Christian, senior in agronomy, has spent time on the Government of the Student Body as agriculture senator. His platform included finding ways to keep young professionals in the state.

Runkel, a nurse at Mary Greeley Medical Center, has no political experience, and her platform is to make health care available for all Iowans.

Christian received only a third as many votes as Runkel.

“I’m delighted for Tracy; I think she’s going to give Jim Kurtenbach a run for his money,” said Tara van Brederode, a Democratic candidate in Iowa House District 45 who lost her bid for the fall ballot to Beth Wessel-Kroeschell.

Bauer said she hopes Runkel, if elected, will work to represent the needs of all Democrats in the statehouse.

“It’s time the state Legislature starts dealing with education,” Bauer said. “It’s time Americans realize there are dues to be paid as part of this society. The Legislature needs to seriously address the economy. It’s time we start dealing with that.”

Polls were open at 7 a.m. Polls reporting before 8 p.m. reported a 3 percent turnout of voters overall. The night ended with a 7 percent Democratic and 5 percent Republican turnout in District 10.

Liz Keys, election official at University Baptist Church, 2400 Mortensen Parkway, which handled 11 percent of the total voters in Story County, said it was mostly Democrats who were coming in to vote.

Election officials also said that a number of Republicans had come in and changed their party to Democratic. Only 30 of the 200 voters at the church voted as Republicans.

According to the Story County Web site, www.storycounty.com, 279 Republicans turned out to support the unopposed Kurtenbach, and 343 Democrats participated in District 10.

“Low turnouts are always disappointing,” Bauer said, “but the numbers reflect the lack of contested races.”