A top Republican leader in the Iowa Senate is plotting to unseat Congressman Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines. Senate Co-President Jeff Lamberti, a Republican from Ankeny, hints that he’ll make a formal announcement later this spring. Obviously, (we are) considering what’s our ability to raise the kind of resources that are necessary to do it and we’ll probably continue to do that for the next month or so,” Lamberti says. Lamberti has been a state legislator for the past 10 years. “I think I’ve been able to lead on a lot of different things and get things done and now I look and say ‘What are the most important issues facing the country?’ and I don’t feel that a lot of them are being addressed,” Lamberti says. Unlike Boswell’s Republican opponent in the last two elections, Lamberti, who is 42, does not intend to make Boswell’s age an issue. “What I want to tell the people if I get in this race is that I’ve got a record of accomplishment and that I’ll bring that to the federal level,” Lamberti says. “It’s not about personalities. It’s not about age. It’s about whether or not you can do anything and accomplish things for the people of this district.” Lamberti’s father is Don Lamberti, founder of the Casey’s convenience store chain. Lamberti practices law in Ankeny when he’s not working on legislative business. Boswell, who is 71 years old, held a fundraiser last week for his re-election bid in 2006. “I have never felt more motivated in my life,” Boswell says. “We’re going to give it all we’ve got.” Boswell says he hopes to convince the Bush Administration to be a “better neighbor” to other countries. “It’s a very, very, very important time in our history,” Boswell says. “If we don’t get a hold of things fairly (quickly), I think there’s a lot of peril out there and we’ve got to do the best that we possibly can.” Boswell retired after a career in the military, started farming in southern Iowa, then served in the state legislature where he eventually rose to the job of Senate President. Coincidentally, Lamberti now holds that same job of Senate President. There are five-hundred-82 days until Election Day in 2006.
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