Candidates Make Push In Hours Leading Up To Election
Former Iowa Governor and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (D) was in Oskaloosa on Sunday to thank Democrat campaign workers for their ‘get out the vote’ efforts.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – With one week to go before the election, the candidates are turning laps around the State in an effort to have their message heard.
Rick Stewart is an Independent running for the U.S. Senate. He is among a half-dozen candidates seeking the office. The two most familiar names in that race are Bruce Braley and Joni Ernst. Stewart was in Oskaloosa recently and spoke about issues he is running on, such as legalizing marijuana and ending the minimum wage. Stewart has been an outspoken voice for the inclusion of Independent and less known candidates being provided an opportunity to be part of the debates hosted by media outlets around the State.
Another U.S. Senate Candidate, Republican Joni Ernst, rushed into town this past week as well. Ernst said she has a lot of momentum in her campaign, as was the evidence by recent polls, which show her up 51% to 44% over Democrat Bruce Braley. Ernst, like Stewart, was in the middle of a 99 county tour.
Ernst took some heat over not talking with the editorial boards of some state newspapers, but she was talking with the press at her stop in Oskaloosa, which involved a stand-up interview with CNN. “I know the Des Moines Register made it pretty clear in a number of their editorials where they stood on this race,” said Ernst.
Last week, Democrat candidate for Iowa Governor Jack Hatch was in Oskaloosa, and this week Governor Terry Branstad was in town to talk about his run for office. Branstad has a commanding lead in the polls, and he thanked his supporters for their support during the campaign. “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve you,” said Branstad.
Second U.S. Congressional District candidate, Mariannette Miller-Meeks made another stop in Oskaloosa as well, where an emotional Miller-Meeks talked about the opportunities in America that allowed her to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. “That is worth preserving,” said Miller-Meeks.
Over the weekend, her Democrat counterpart Dave Loebsack was in Oskaloosa, where he also hosted a group of supporters at Smokey Row. Loebsack said that Miller-Meeks talks a lot about the middle-class, “but she doesn’t represent the middle-class.”
One other political heavy-weight made his way into Oskaloosa over the weekend as well. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stopped at a local Democrat canvassing station to thank volunteers for their ‘get out the vote‘ efforts.
Vilsack took the opportunity to praise his fellow Democrats in the race, in particular a sagging Bruce Brailey. Vilsack also spoke highly of Iowa Governor candidate Jack Hatch. With a near 20 point deficit against Branstad, Hatch would need one of those Vilsack comeback stories in order to secure victory on Tuesday.
