Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack (D) is inching closer toward a congressional run, confirming today she is exploring a run against Rep. Steve King (R) in the state's newly-drawn Fourth District.
Vilsack wrote on her newly-launched website that she will spend the next few weeks traveling throughout the new district and talking with voters. She's not from King's home region of northwest Iowa, but will be moving into the new district in the next month.
Vilsack wrote on her newly-launched website that she will spend the next few weeks traveling throughout the new district and talking with voters. She's not from King's home region of northwest Iowa, but will be moving into the new district in the next month.
"Serving Iowa is both a privilege and a responsibility. The decision to run for Congress deserves serious consideration. Next month, I will move to Ames and continue to explore the possibility of representing Iowa in the US House of Representatives," Vilsack said in a statement.
If she jumps in against King, it will set up one of the most high-profile House races of 2012. Vilsack is expected to receive strong support from national Democrats and women's groups. And King has been one of the most outspoken conservatives in the House, and has been a longtime favorite of social conservatives and Tea Party activists.
The newly-created district would have given John McCain 50.2 percent of the vote in 2008 (down from 54 percent in King's old seat), making it a bona fide battleground.
Vilsack has been weighing a congressional bid for a while, but could not make a final decision until the state's redistricting was finalized this week. But with Rep. Tom Latham (R) announcing last week he would move to the new Third District to run against Rep. Leonard Boswell (D), and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D) moving to run in the new 2nd District, Vilsack decided her best was against a Republican, rather than challenging a Democratic incumbent in a primary. Vilsack, a teacher and librarian, has never run for elective office herself, but she has been a fixture in the state for decades alongside her husband. Tom Vilsack served as governor of the state between 1999 and 2007 and now serves in the Obama cabinet as Agriculture secretary. Republicans have already been going after Vilsack, even before she announces. Gov. Terry Branstad (R) said earlier this week said the Southeast Iowa native would be "a fish out of water" in the new Northwest Iowa district. National Republicans were quick to nationalize the race, pointing out that King has represented nearly half of the district, which voted for McCain in the 2008 election, and where Branstad won easily last year with 59 percent of the vote. "Iowa voters understand that sending Vilsack to Washington will only result in more debt and a vote to try to put Nancy Pelosi back in the Speaker's Chair," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andrea Bozek. But Vilsack's husband voiced unwavering confidence in her abilities earlier this week, reportedly telling Democratic state senators that if she does run, it would be a "holy war." Minutes after Vilsack's announcement hit, the anti-tax Club for Growth was already up with a statement accusing her of supporting a "fatwah" against King. "Before Christie Vilsack has her husband issue a fatwah against Steve King, she should know that Steve King has an excellent record in Congress on the issues that the Club for Growth cares about," Club President Chris Chocola said in a statement.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/04/vilsack-exploring-run-against-steve-king-20
If she jumps in against King, it will set up one of the most high-profile House races of 2012. Vilsack is expected to receive strong support from national Democrats and women's groups. And King has been one of the most outspoken conservatives in the House, and has been a longtime favorite of social conservatives and Tea Party activists.
The newly-created district would have given John McCain 50.2 percent of the vote in 2008 (down from 54 percent in King's old seat), making it a bona fide battleground.
Vilsack has been weighing a congressional bid for a while, but could not make a final decision until the state's redistricting was finalized this week. But with Rep. Tom Latham (R) announcing last week he would move to the new Third District to run against Rep. Leonard Boswell (D), and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D) moving to run in the new 2nd District, Vilsack decided her best was against a Republican, rather than challenging a Democratic incumbent in a primary. Vilsack, a teacher and librarian, has never run for elective office herself, but she has been a fixture in the state for decades alongside her husband. Tom Vilsack served as governor of the state between 1999 and 2007 and now serves in the Obama cabinet as Agriculture secretary. Republicans have already been going after Vilsack, even before she announces. Gov. Terry Branstad (R) said earlier this week said the Southeast Iowa native would be "a fish out of water" in the new Northwest Iowa district. National Republicans were quick to nationalize the race, pointing out that King has represented nearly half of the district, which voted for McCain in the 2008 election, and where Branstad won easily last year with 59 percent of the vote. "Iowa voters understand that sending Vilsack to Washington will only result in more debt and a vote to try to put Nancy Pelosi back in the Speaker's Chair," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andrea Bozek. But Vilsack's husband voiced unwavering confidence in her abilities earlier this week, reportedly telling Democratic state senators that if she does run, it would be a "holy war." Minutes after Vilsack's announcement hit, the anti-tax Club for Growth was already up with a statement accusing her of supporting a "fatwah" against King. "Before Christie Vilsack has her husband issue a fatwah against Steve King, she should know that Steve King has an excellent record in Congress on the issues that the Club for Growth cares about," Club President Chris Chocola said in a statement.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/04/vilsack-exploring-run-against-steve-king-20