An eastern Iowa lawyer has launched a campaign for the Republican nomination in Iowa’s new second congressional district. John Archer of Bettendorf, at some point, will take a leave of absence from his job as senior counsel for John Deere to dedicate his time to the 2012 race.
“The country, in my opinion, is moving in the wrong,” Archer says. “We cannot continue to spend more than we’re taking in on a regular basis and it’s time to put our fiscal house back in order.” Archer says he’s been thinking for “quite a while” about a run for congress.
“I’ve been traveling the second district with very good enthusiasm and so it’s now time for new leadership in congress and I’ve elected to pursue this opportunity,” he says. The boundaries of Iowa’s congressional districts were redrawn this year and Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Mount Vernon, is moving into the new second district which includes the Quad Cities, Burlington, Iowa City and Newton.
Archer would face Loebsack in the 2012 General Election if he wins the G-O-P nomination in the district. Archer has held elected office before. He is a member of the Pleasant Valley School Board. Archer has filed the paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to create an official campaign committee, which means he can begin fundraising.
Two other men have expressed an interest in seeking the Republican Party’s nomination in the second congressional district. Richard Gates of Keokuk is a Tea Party activist. Dan Dolan is a homebuilder from the Quad Cities.