The stakes in a high-profile eastern Iowa legislative race have escalated, as a Republican presidential candidate is now offering to help raise money for the GOP candidate.
Linn County Republicans last night selected Cindy Golding to run for the open state senate seat representing the city of Marion and other sections north and west of Cedar Rapids. This morning, GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann spoke by phone with Radio Iowa.
“I called Cindy this morning and I left a voice mail for her and I will be in Cedar Rapids Monday and I will be happy to be raising money and campaigning for her,” Bachmann said.
The special election is November 8th and Golding is more than likely to face Liz Mathis, a former eastern Iowa television anchor who has said she’ll seek the Democratic Party’s nomination in the district next week. A Republican victory in this race would send the Iowa Senate into partisan deadlock, with 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans. Bachmann’s Iowa campaign manager is Kent Sorenson, one of the 24 Republicans who currently serve in the state senate.
“We want to see the senate have another Republican,” Bachmann said this morning, “so we are looking forward to her victory.”
Bachmann spoke with Radio Iowa as she made her way to an airport in Florida, as Florida is where the Republican candidates gathered last night for a nationally televised debate. Bachmann suggests on key issues, especially immigration, voters last night saw the flaws in Rick Perry’s support of a Texas law which grants the benefit of in-state college tuition to the children of illegal immigrants. Bachmann presents herself as the only “proven” conservative.
“This is an election when we shouldn’t settle for a candidate,” Bachmann said. “And every four years conservatives are told they need to settle and they need to step back for a candidate who is moderate or perhaps a compromise candidate,” Bachmann said. “In this election, of all elections, we need to have a bold, clear distinction with our candidate.”
Bachmann’s support in polls both nationally and in Iowa has been falling since Perry entered the race in mid-August.