First, the Des Moines Register, which begins its endorsement by dissing her opponent:
Every time the Register’s editorial board meets with Rep. Steve King, we are reminded why we endorsed him a decade ago. He is articulate, personable and full of energy. Yet, about 15 minutes into the conversation, we are reminded of why we later withdrew that endorsement and why the Kiron Republican should not be representing Iowa in Congress.
DesMoines is not in the district, but is the major paper in the state. The editorial board finds things to criticize, including her not taking a position on some issues, but believes she can. They are more concerned with their extreme distaste for King:
King seems to amuse himself by being as partisan and vitriolic as he can be. He has had 10 years in Washington to cultivate his inner-statesman, but he has failed to do so. It’s time for Iowa to make a change.
And for an endorsement from within the district, continue below the squiggle.
Ames is in territory not previously in King's district, but part of the newly drawn 4th because Iowa lost one Congressional District. It is, of course, the home of Iowa State, and the city to which Christie Vilsack moved when she decided to run for the seat, and also the site of her headquarters. It was to Ames that I went when I drove out to volunteer for her campaign.
The Ames Tribune has also endorsed Christie Vilsack. The heart of their endorsement can be seen in the foloowing three paragraphs:
Certainly Vilsack is conscious of and interested in issues of wider interest. She wants to protect Social Security and Medicare. She supports making higher education more accessible and affordable. She supports health care reforms that reduce costs and encourage coordinated care. She wants Congress to pass a farm bill.
But Vilsack’s passions lie in local affairs. The underlying theme of her campaign is to “repopulate small towns through economic development.” She wants to encourage innovations and improvements that allow small communities to thrive. It’s a disservice, she says, for young Iowans to define success by how far away from home they move for a job.
Vilsack’s views do not echo a set of party talking points, but have been developed through the lens of her upbringing, education and experiences as a teacher, advocate and parent. We would expect Vilsack to be an independent thinker in Washington, not a rubber stamp for her party. And more importantly, she would be an advocate for her constituents in the 4th District, thinking first of their well-being when she casts a vote.
Christie grew up in Mount Pleasant, which has less than 9,000 people, although it is a college town: Iowa Wesleyan is the oldest college West of the Mississippi. She went to college at Kirkland, then the separate sister college of Hamilton, where she met Tom Vilsack, whom she married. They married after college, and he attended law school in Albany, but her father asked them to come back to Mount Pleasant, so they did, and it was there Tom's political career started on City Council. When he became governor, Christie took as her brief small towns, and that has been reflected in her approach to her campaign and some of the issues she has emphasized. The Tribune editorial recognizes that.
I do not know of any recent polling. As of a month ago she had closed what had been a 16 point deficit to around 2-3 points, and King was well under 50.
This is a winnable seat. We would get rid of one of the most obnoxious members of the Republican House Caucus. Perhaps you might consider making a contribution in honor of the endorsements?
Peace.