The new leader of Senate Republicans describes her leadership style as “strong” and this (Tuesday) morning she’s already shuffled committee jobs in the Senate and met privately with the governor.
Senate Co-Leader Mary Lundby, a Republican from Marion, was elected last (Monday) night during a private meeting of the 25 Republicans in the Senate, putting her in the place held for 10 years by Senator Stewart Iverson of Clarion. “Sun came up, though. A beautiful spring day,” Lundby says. “Easter. New beginning.” Iverson has always described himself as a consensus building.
Lundby will present a different leadership style. “We needed a strengthening of our message,” Lundby says. “We needed…a different leadership style: stronger, more strident on our issues.”
Lundby was one of the legislative leaders who met this morning with Governor Vilsack and Lundby, who pointed out that she is wearing a bright green pantsuit today, says she brought “color” to the negotiating table. “There’s some new ideas that’ll come with me,” Lundby says. “I’m certainly willing to speak up and say what’s on the mind of myself and (Senate Republicans). And it was nice to have another woman there. Lieutenant Governor (Sally) Pederson, of course, was there.”
Lundby is the first woman to be an elected floor leader in the Iowa Legislature, and she uses the word “forthright” to describe her leadership style. “Some people say ‘in your face’ but I don’t want to imply that,” Lundby says. “But strong, determined.”
Lundby put 150-thousand miles on her car in 1992 to help Republicans win a majority of the seats in the Iowa House and Lundby says she’s got a new car now and is ready to log even more miles campaigning for Republicans running this November for seats in the Senate.