Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Paul who launched onto the national political scene partially due to a filibuster against drones will be the headline speaker at the Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner in Cedar Rapids. Ticket and event info inside.
Ready for Iowa Caucus season to start up again? Marco Rubio has already graced the state with a visit, and today Iowa Republican Chair A.J. Spiker announced that Sen. Rand Paul will be the head speaker at the Iowa GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner on May 10. Ticket and event info at the link. Paul vaulted himself to the national stage as an heir apparent to retiring father Ron as he filibustered against the Obama administration's foreign policy, particularly its policy on the use of military drones on foreign soil. His broadside against the Obama administration, and possibly the least favorite member for conservatives, Attorney General Eric Holder, was a rallying cry for Republicans. Will this mean that Rand Paul will run for president? No, not …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
A Republican winning an election in Johnson County, Iowa? Clearly there must be some mistake.
With an electorate that swings more than two-to-one for Democrats, Johnson County, also known as the People's Republic of Johnson County, is known across Iowa for its liberal leanings. A group of University of Iowa college students hold a "conservative coming out week" each year with a wink towards how hard it is to be a Republican here. That is why last night's victory by Republican candidate John Etheredge over Democratic candidate Terry Dahms 3,102 to 2,974 in a low turnout special election for a Johnson County Supervisor seat is an historic moment. There hasn't been a Republican to win a seat on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors since rock and roll and Kennedy-Nixon and free love were dominating the national consciousness. Ronald…
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The final voting results in the Johnson County Supervisor special election between Terry Dahms and John Etheredge.
With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Republican candidate John Etheredge has defeated Democratic candidate Terry Dahms 3,102 to 2,974 in a low turnout special election to replace departing supervisor Sally Stutsman. Etheredge pulled out the win despite Damhs holding an almost 400 vote lead in early voting and winning most Iowa City precincts. Newport was the biggest single precinct and it went heavily Etheredge, 186 to 79, roughly the final winning magin. Etheredge also won the vast majority of precincts outside of Iowa City, losing only four precincts by narrow margins. Final results will only be official pending a canvass on March 11. You can see the final voting results by precinct here.
Monday, March 4, 2013
It's election day: March 5th. The election will decide who fills the empty Johnson County Supervisor seat vacated by Sally Stutsman, Democrat Terry Dahms or Republican John Etheredge.
It's the year of special elections in Johnson County, and another one is upon us. March 5 is the Johnson County Supervisor Election, as two candidates vie to replace the Board of Supervisors seat vacated by Sally Stutsman when she ran and won a position in the newly minted Iowa State House District 77 (North Liberty and Western Johnson County). According to the Johnson County Auditor, you have until 6:00 p.m. to vote early at the Johnson County Auditor's Office. Tomorrow Johnson County residents can vote at their normal polling places from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor for either of these two candidates to the site either e-mail it to me at stephen.schmidt@patch.com or post it directly to the site …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Campaign finance reports were released today, and they show big money, high stakes for the election on whether Linn County should have a casino.
If the stream of ads running across television, newspaper, internet and radio, or the constant coverage from local news outlets wasn't clue enough, the financial reports released today show the stakes of the March 5 election over whether to allow casino gambling in Linn County. Riverside Casino was the largest single donor for the opponents, chipping in $600,000. Riverside Casino officials say a casino in Linn County would devastate their business. Combined the Vote Yes Linn County, which supports the casino, and Just Say No Casino have raised $2.25 million in just over a month. Contributions Vote Yes has the clear money advantage, bringing in $1.5 million, virtually all of it under the umbrella of Cedar Rapids Development Group, which is …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
King issued a statement on his Facebook page Wednesday afternoon that he wouldn't rush into a decision on running for U.S. Senate.
Congressman Steve King, R-Kiron, led early GOP polls for the US Senate seat but said Wednesday that he has not yet decided if he will run. "A potential Senate race remains an analytical decision first and then one that requires deep conviction. Such a decision includes, of course, my family and the best interests of Iowans and Americans. It is too big a decision to be rushed." King said in a statement released on his King for Congress Facebook page. The announcement came after Congressman Tom Latham said that he would not run for the seat, according to a report on KWWL. Latham wrote in a letter to the people he represents that it would be wrong for him to launch a two-year campaign for office after he was just elected to his new district…
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Rep. Bruce Braley has announced he will run for Sen. Tom Harkin's senate seat when Harkin retires in 2014.
Rep. Bruce Braley, of Iowa's first district, has netted endorsements from two of his Congressional colleagues as he prepares to run for the Senate. Rep. Dave Loebsack and former Rep. Leonard Boswell, both Democrats representing Iowa's second and third districts, respectively, lent Braley their support this weekend. Braley will run for the Senate seat to be vacated by longtime Senator Tom Harkin, who has announced he will not seek re-election in 2014. "I’ve watched him fight passionately for Iowa’s small towns, big cities, and working families. Bruce has been a tireless advocate for Iowa's veterans," Boswell said. "He’s never forgotten where he’s come from, and he’ll be an even more effective voice for us in the U.S. Senate.” No Republican …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Spiker's anti-gay marriage comments were made during an interview for this week's Iowa Press, airing at noon on Sunday
While recent evidence suggests that campaigning heavily on gay marriage might not be a good idea for Republicans who want to win in Iowa, Iowa GOP Chair A.J. Spiker made clear in recent interview comments that the party isn't planning on changing its views on gay marriage anytime soon. “There is a gay marriage party in the state of Iowa and that’s The Iowa Democratic Party,” Spiker said. “The Republican Party embraces one-man/one-woman marriage and embraces the right of the people to vote on the definition of marriage." Spiker made the comment in an interview for Iowa Press with the new chairs of the two Iowa parties airing noon Sunday on Iowa Public Television. Spiker's comments come in the same week as an interesting telephone poll of …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Who will run for the seat to be vacated by long-time Iowa Senator Tom Harkin?
A day after Rep. Bruce Braley announced his intentions to run for the United States Senate, a Des Moines Register poll has found Iowans' top choice for the seat is former governor Tom Vilsack. Fifty-six percent of Iowans say he’d be an appealing Senate candidate, while 35 percent say he would not be an appealing candidate. Vilsack, who is the current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, hasn't expressed interest in the seat, though he hasn't dismissed the possibility either. The only sure contender so far is Braley, who said in an email to supporters Thursday that he would form a committee to explore a Senate run. The seat has long been held by Democrat Tom Harkin, who has announced he will not seek re-election in 2014. An Iowa Senate seat hasn'…
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Rep. Bruce Braley, a Democrat, currently serves Iowa's first district.
Rep. Bruce Braley has announced he will seek to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate in 2014. The seat has long been held by Democrat Tom Harkin, who has announced he will not seek re-election. Braley, a Democrat who currently represents Iowa's first district, sent out a Tweet Thursday morning with just two words: "I'm in," and a link to a Facebook image with the words, "Braley for Iowa." "It's a big responsibility to represent the people of Iowa in the United States Senate, especially after Tom Harkin has shown us how for the last 30 years. But, if you are willing to help me, I'm ready to go," Braley wrote in an email to supporters. To win the seat, he'll have to woo not just the Eastern Iowans who decisively re-elected him over Republican …
RB
9:17 am on Thursday, March 28, 2013
Romney's exclusion of Dr Paul and the delegates he won to the conventuion became the instrument of his defeat in the general election. more ›