The state’s former economic development director who finished second in the Democratic primary early this month says patience is not one of his strong points, and he expects to jump into a new job soon. Mike Blouin says he’s exploring several options. “I’m in contact with several people in several different arenas,” Blouin says.

His goal is to stay in Des Moines, or least take a job that keeps him in Iowa. Blouin went to college in Dubuque and worked as a classroom teacher there before becoming a state legislator in 1968. After serving two terms in congress in the mid-70s, Blouin became a community college administrator in Cedar Rapids, then moved on to head the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.

Blouin was serving as head of the Greater Des Moines Chamber in late 2002 when Governor Vilsack asked him to become the state economic development director. Blouin does not rule out the possibility that he may return to state government. “It’s just a little to early to tell. I need to sort out the various options that are in front of me. Several of them are consulting. Some of them are private (or) association related,” Blouin says. “I need to look at them in context with other options that may or may not be forthcoming and just see what’s best in terms of my future.”

Blouin, who is 60 years old, isn’t interested in an extended period of rest and wants to reenter the world of work as soon as possible. “It took me three days to get the sleep I needed and I’m over that, but I threw my back out Sunday night,” Blouin says. “I’m decompressing from the pain in my back this week.”

Ed Fallon, another Democratic competitor in the gubernatorial primary, has fielded phone calls from party big-shots like Hillary Clinton and told Radio Iowa two days after the primary that he’s fielding a variety of job offers connected to non-profit groups as well as presidential campaigns.