By Beacon Staff
Former U.S. representative Dave Loebsack and former state senator Tom Courtney were honored with 2021 Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Awards during the annual Des Moines County Democratic Party Hall of Fame Dinner Tuesday, May 10 at the Pzazz Convention and Event Center.
Loebsack represented Iowa’s second congressional district from 2007 to 2021, while Courtney represented district 44 from 2003 until 2017.
The 2020 winners of the Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Awards – Lyn Stinson, Olive Sullivan, Dick Mellinger, and DiAnne Lerud-Chubb – were also recognized.
Former Des Moines County Supervisor Bob Beck was awarded as the Dedicated Elected Official of 2021, and Jacob Nye was awarded the Dune Kline Friend of Labor award.
During the event, Courtney offered a remembrance for staunch Democratic supporter Elaine Baxter, who died in March of 2021. Baxter was the first woman to sit on the Burlington City Council.
Iowa Rep. Dennis Cohoon was the keynote speaker for the evening. Other speakers included gubernatorial candidate Deirdre DeJear, U.S. Rep. Candidate Christina Bohannan, U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer, Secretary of State candidate Eric Van Lancker, and Secretary of Agriculture candidate John Norwood.
Due to COVID-19, the annual event was not held in 2020 or 2021.