An eastern Iowa attorney who served two years in the Iowa Senate hopes to challenge Republican Chuck Grassley’s bid for reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2010. Tom Fiegen of Clarence is a bankruptcy attorney.
"I really got in because of economic issues," Fiegen says. "I think we need to keep the congress focused on stimulating the economy, monitoring the economy and if it doesn’t improve by the end 2010 or the beginning of 2011, we’ve got to look at a second stimulus package."
Fiegen will face Bob Krause of Fairfield and perennial candidate Sal Mohamed of Sioux City in a Democratic primary. Fiegen admits if he wins his party’s nomination, it would be sort of a "David-versus-Goliath" battle given Grassley’s ability to raise campaign cash.
"I’ve talked to people that are very wise and they say Senator Grassley is going to have $15 to $16 million but they think I can get my message out and compete effectively at three million," Fiegen says. "My goal is to raise something north of $3 million."
Fiegen made stops in Davenport, Tipton, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines today to formally announce his candidacy. Nine years ago Fiegen ran against a legislator who’d been the leader of Republicans in the state senate and won. Fiegen then served two years in the legislature before redistricting tossed him into a 2002 contest against another incumbent Republican — Fiegan lost that race.
Grassley is seeking his sixth term in the U.S. Senate.