As the sun sets on 2014, TheIowaRepublican.com offers you a look back at an amazing year in politics. We will produce these articles and items chronologically. Today we look at the big events in September and October, as Iowa Republicans prepare for the crucial November elections.
For a look at January and February, click here.
For a look at March, click here.
For a look at April and May, click here.
For a look at June, click here.
For a look at July and August, click here.
SEPTEMBER
Two months before Election Day, the polls are mixed regarding the statewide undercard races. Republican Paul Pate holds a very narrow lead over Brad Anderson in the secretary of state race. State Auditor Mary Mosiman leads Jonathan Neiderbach by just four points. Democrat Attorney General Tom Miller and State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald maintain double-digit advantages over their Republican challengers, Adam Gregg and Sam Clovis, respectively.
Despite facing a grand jury indictment in Texas that even Democrat observers call “sketchy”, Governor Rick Perry continues his forays into Iowa to help candidates in the First-in-the-Nation presidential caucus state. The indictment does not dampen Perry’s vigor and Iowa Republicans remain supportive of the Texas governor.
Republican congressional candidate David Young releases his widely panned “Good Meal” ad. The awkward commercial is ridiculed by Republicans and Democrats. Third District Republicans express concern that Young is in danger of losing the race and the horrible ad might actually hurts his cause.
An email from Attorney General Tom Miller’s office reveals he advised county attorneys in Iowa to release suspected illegal immigrants from custody. This comes despite requests from federal agents to keep potentially dangerous illegal immigrants behind bars. Miller’s opponent, Adam Gregg, and Congressman Steve King publicly blast the attorney general and demand he follow the law.
Democrat congressional hopeful Staci Appel creates a huge blunder in the first debate with opponent David Young. Young says the U.S. should revoke the passports of Americans who had joined the jihadist terrorists’ cause. Appel says she would not push to revoke their passports. The response shows Appel’s weakness on foreign policy and is immediately seized upon by the Republican groups.
Democrat U.S. Senate hopeful Bruce Braley is the only member of the Iowa congressional delegation to vote against a bill that restricts the EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act. Braley then shows his hypocrisy knows no bounds by sending out a mass email claiming he is working to block the EPA’s efforts.
Bill and Hillary Clinton headline the annual Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola. It’s Hillary’s first trip to Iowa since finishing third in the 2008 Iowa Caucus. For many observers, the highly choreographed event reinforces the notion that Hillary Clinton is not authentic. Bill Clinton calls Bruce Braley “Bruce Bailey”. He is not the last.
David Young’s widely panned TV ads are pulled and the NRCC replaces them with an ad featuring Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Tom Latham praising Young.
Vice-President Joe Biden visits the state to campaign for Iowa Democrats. The Republican Party of Iowa blasts Biden for using taxpayer funds for the partisan trip.
A new Quinnipiac Poll shows Joni Ernst opening a six-point lead over Bruce Braley in the U.S. Senate race. Almost every other voter survey shows the race within a couple of points, with both candidates leading different polls. The race is presumed to remain very tight.
The Draft Ben Carson for President Committee announces Rep. Rob Taylor and his wife, Dr. Christi Taylor, as its state chairs. The surprising early endorsements by two very prominent Republicans show Carson is building a strong base of support in our First-in-the-Nation caucus state.
Trailing by as much as 23 points in the polls, Democrat gubernatorial hopeful Jack Hatch tries every attack imaginable against Governor Terry Branstad in their second debate, held in Burlington. Branstad calmly swats the criticisms away and puts Hatch on the defensive much of the time. Hatch fails to change the dynamic of the race.
A devastating new ad pops up in the First Congressional District race. It shows Democrat nominee Pat Murphy angrily yelling and pounding the podium on the floor of the Iowa House. The ad clearly hurts Murphy and helps Rod Blum’s efforts to pull off the upset.
Joni Ernst embarks on a tour of all 99 Iowa counties that spans the final five weeks of the U.S. Senate campaign. The Republican nominee takes her message straight to the voters in an effort to pull away in one of the nation’s most watched races.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina delivers a well-received, presidential-like speech in West Des Moines. The event, organized by Fiorina’s pro-Republican Unlocking Potential Project, shows some of the state’s most prominent Republican women closely are allied with Fiorina.
Fiorina is one of four potential GOP presidential candidates in Iowa on the same day. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan are also in the state to help Iowa Republican candidates and conservative organizations.
2012 vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan informs the crowd at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Dinner that Joni Ernst has opened a six-point lead over Bruce Braley in the U.S. Senate race, according to the Iowa Poll conducted by respected pollster Ann Selzer. The announcement spurs the biggest ovation of the evening:
One day after the Register’s poll shows her six points ahead, Ernst handily defeats Bruce Braley in their first U.S. Senate debate. Ernst excels not only on the substance and delivery of her remarks, but also on the optics. She looks directly into the camera throughout, addressing the viewers at home. Braley never looks into the camera and fails to connect with the home audience.
In another sign that the gubernatorial campaign is over, Democrat Jack Hatch pulls his ads off TV.
OCTOBER
Popular Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley campaigns across the Third Congressional District with GOP nominee David Young. Young served as Grassley’s chief-of-staff for several years and his mentor’s help is most welcome.
Polls show Republican Paul Pate maintaining a narrow lead over Brad Anderson in the secretary of state race.
Every Iowa Democrat candidate in a competitive race groans when President Obama proclaims that “every single one” of his policies are on the ballot in November. Obama’s poll numbers are hovering at 40 percent and Iowa Democrats are avoiding the unpopular president on the campaign trail.
There are strong indications that Iowa House Republicans could pick up some seats and expand their majority in November. Strong candidate recruitment, solid fundraising and quality TV ads are three of the major factors helping GOP candidates.
U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst sets a new Iowa record by raising more than $6 million in the third quarter. The sum is more than double that of Democrat opponent Bruce Braley. The numbers are another sign Ernst has all the momentum in the race.
First Lady Michelle Obama, in Des Moines to campaign for Bruce Braley, calls him “Bruce Bailey” several times before the crowd finally corrects her. The repeated flubs garner the majority of the news coverage from Mrs. Obama’s visit.
Democrat Congressman Dave Loebsack demeans the professional accomplishments of challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks, claiming she “doesn’t have a record to stand on. She doesn’t have of a record of accomplishments…” Miller-Meeks, the former state public health director, has a long record of accomplishments in the military and as a medical professional.
Bruce Braley’s campaign finds a small glimmer of hope as he gets the better of Joni Ernst in their second debate.
2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney campaigns with Joni Ernst in West Des Moines. Romney proclaims Ernst will be “an extraordinary breath of fresh air” in Washington, D.C. He joins the club of those who flub Bruce Braley’s name, referring to the Democrat candidate as “Bill Braley”.
Iowa Libertarian candidate for the U.S. Senate Doug Butzier dies in a small plane crash near Dubuque. Butzier was 59. He is survived by a wife and two sons.
Joni Ernst manhandles Bruce Braley in their final U.S. Senate debate. She delivers an especially blistering attack on Braley’s support of Obamacare. The debates were expected to be a weak point for Ernst, but she surprises many observers by defeating Braley handily in two out of the three contests.
There are strong indications that Republican Rod Blum could upset former Iowa Speaker of the House Pat Murphy in the Democrat-leaning First Congressional District. Blum betters Murphy in their second debate, then picks up the endorsements of Cedar Rapids Gazette and Dubuque Telegraph Herald. The Dubuque paper’s endorsement is especially devastating to Murphy, who represented the area in the Iowa Legislature for 25 years.
Real estate and media mogul Donald Trump ventures to Iowa to headline a high dollar fundraiser for Congressman Steve King. The two conservative firebrands conduct a lengthy news conference before the event, displaying a kindred spirit.
The Draft Ben Carson for President Committee announces it has secured chairpersons in all 99 Iowa counties. The show of organizational strength is a benchmark that all statewide campaigns strive for, but not all succeed. For the Run Ben Run Committee to reach the benchmark so early in the caucus process is viewed as a remarkable achievement.
Early voting totals show a surprisingly strong effort by the Republican Party of Iowa. Early voting is traditionally a significant strong point for Democrats. Despite a huge early lead, Republicans gain significant ground turning in early ballots. The effort is expected to pay dividends on Election Day.
2008 Iowa Caucus winner and Fox News host Mike Huckabee campaigns with U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst. Huckabee calls her “a fantastic candidate”.
Iowa Republicans display a strong showing of unity at the state party’s annual Reagan Dinner. The team effort is a significant improvement over RPI’s state just four months earlier.
Several presidential hopefuls flood the state. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul returns to Iowa to campaign for congressional hopeful Rod Blum, Iowa House Rep. Bobby Kaufmann and U.S Senate candidate Joni Ernst. 2012 Iowa Caucus victor Rick Santorum visits several Republican Victory offices around the state.
The lone debate in the Fourth Congressional District race is a contentious affair. Challenger Jim Mowrer consistently attacks Republican Congressman Steve King throughout the event. King is visibly annoyed at some of the over-the-top criticisms, but does well not to lose his cool.
Joni Ernst opts out of sessions with newspaper editorial boards, including the Des Moines Register. Ernst cites what she views as frequent, unfair attacks from the liberal paper’s writers. The Register, unsurprisingly, endorses her opponent, Bruce Braley.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie returns to Iowa, campaigning for Governor Branstad and congressional candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The latest visit provides strong indicators Christie is preparing for a presidential run.
A Loras College poll shows good news for Republican congressional candidates as Rod Blum leads Democrat Pat Murphy in the First District and David Young holds a two-point lead over liberal Staci Appel in the Third District. The only bad news in the poll is Mariannette Miller-Meeks trailing Congressman Dave Loebsack by 13 points in the Second District.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner ventures to Iowa to campaign with Blum, Miller-Meeks and Young.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio helps attract a record crowd at the Scott County GOP’s annual Reagan Dinner. Rubio’s speech is highly praised by attendees. There is palpable excitement for Joni Ernst’s chances of defeating Bruce Braley, as well.
Joni Ernst completes her 99-county tour with a campaign stop in Ames, accompanied by Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Tom Latham. Iowa Republicans feel cautiously optimistic about their chances with Election Day rapidly approaching.
Tomorrow, we wrap up our look back at 2014 in Iowa politics with a look at the remarkable November elections and the state of Republican Party entering 2015.