New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has become the first Democratic presidential candidate to go up on Iowa’s television airwaves. "I need to get known in Iowa," Richardson says. Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been running ads on Iowa t.v. stations, and on Monday Richardson’s ad will be on the air, too.
"I want to get out early. I want Iowans to know who I am," Richardson says. "I want ’em to know about my background." During the Clinton Administration, Richardson was U.S. Energy Secretary and U.N. Ambassador. He was also a member of congress, and this past November was just re-elected to a second term as New Mexico’s governor.
Richardson made his comments this morning during a telephone interview with Radio Iowa. He’ll be in Denison this evening to speak to local Democrats. The three Democratic candidates who are leading in many polls are campaigning here this weekend, too. Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama will be here, as will Delaware Senator Joe Biden, another Democratic presidential hopeful.
Republican hopeful Jim Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia, is scheduled to be here today. Republican Tommy Thompson was here Thursday. Some of the GOP candidates have been running radio ads in Iowa for weeks.