Governor Culver has set Tuesday, September 1st as the date for a special election to fill a southeast Iowa legislative seat.

State Representative John Whitaker, a Democrat from Hillsboro, announced his resignation late Friday. U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed Whitaker to be the executive state director of the Farm Service Agency. Whitaker, who first won his seat in the Iowa House back in 2002, was president of the Iowa Farmers Union in the decade before that.

Curt Hanson, a Democrat from Fairfield, announced Friday evening that he intends to run for Whitaker’s seat in the House. The Republican leader in the Iowa House says Stephen Burgmeier, a Republican Lockridge, intends to run, too.

House District 90 includes all of Van Buren County and portions of Jefferson and Wapello Counties. August 7 is the deadline for candidates to get their paperwork filed with the Secretary of State so their name will appear on the Special Election ballots.