(This article updated at 11:17 p.m.)
Congressman Leonard Boswell has easily stiff-armed a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Ed Fallon in Iowa’s third congressional district. "I think that the people know us well and they’ve made their decision and so we’re happy for it," Boswell says. "We spent a lot of time out amongst the people. It’s a swing district that requires a lot of attention. We do our very best, not only me personally but my staff, to be available and make that contact and work for the things that we need to do to represent them and I think it’s just that simple."
Boswell told his supporters he felt energized by his 22-point primary victory. "When you win an election, you always feel energized, but I feel energized overall because I see hope for this country," Boswell said later during a telephone interview with Radio Iowa.
Fallon was depending on the grassroots network of supporters he built while running for governor in 2006. "It’s really hard to run against somebody with so much PAC money," Fallon says. "We were outspent five-to-one."
Fallon accused Boswell of running an "insidious" campaign. "I have a lot of respect for Congressman Boswell as a person, but I think this type of campaign is not something I would be proud of," Fallon says. "I guess I felt that a campaign such as we ran based on the issues and maintaining a positive approach would have resonated a bit more strongly than it did, but that said, I guess the fact that we did this well against a sitting incumbent is commendable."
Fallon, though, admits he may have "underestimated" how hard it would be to run against an incumbent. Fallon says he’s not "going away," but he’s not ready to declare what’s next. "We were planning on winning…so we do not have plan B," Fallon says. "…All of us are committed to fighting to make the world a better place."
Boswell, as a Democrat in congress, is one of the super delegates to his party’s presidential nomination convention. Boswell endorsed Hillary Clinton in December and while Boswell says he’s "looking forward" to the conclusion of the contest between Clinton and Barack Obama, he’s not ready to say he’s backing Obama. "I’m going to support whoever the nominee is and it looks like it’s coming to closure pretty fast. I haven’t been involved in it. I’ve been involved in my own things, as you well know. I’ve always felt with confidence that whenever June 3rd rolls around, as it has, shortly thereafter whoever has got to make a decision, they will," Boswell says. "I still think that’s going to happen." Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is expected to endorse Obama Wednesday.
Boswell’s November opponent will be Kim Schmett of Des Moines.
