Senator Amy Klobuchar landed her second Iowa endorsement just in time for her speech at the Iowa Hall of Fame Dinner in Cedar Rapids this Sunday afternoon.
State Representative Marti Anderson announced her support for Klobuchar, citing the senator’s experience in working on mental health care issues and criminal justice. Anderson represents House District 36 in Des Moines, which includes the Beaverdale neighborhood.
She joins fellow State Representative Ruth Ann Gaines, who backed Klobuchar earlier this month. Gaines also represents a Des Moines-area district. Both their seats are prime, delegate-rich areas for the Iowa Caucus.
“I am proud to endorse U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar for President of the United States. As a Social Worker and founding Director of the Iowa Attorney General’s Crime Victim Assistance Division, I am encouraged by Klobuchar’s unwavering determination to stand for fairness to offenders, victims, and community in our criminal justice system. I am inspired by her efforts to prioritize mental health care,” Anderson said in a statement to Starting Line. “Democrats need to take back the White House in 2020 and I know that Senator Klobuchar is the best candidate to defeat President Trump and help us flip the Legislature in Iowa.”
Given the size of the Democratic presidential field, any candidate who picks up multiple legislative endorsement is doing well. Klobuchar’s Iowa team has significant political connections throughout the state, and Klobuchar herself has built up friendships with key Iowa Democrats over the years during her frequent visits here.
Her team also showed up in force at the pre-Hall of Fame sign war festivities, looking to project some organizational strength ahead of the biggest Iowa Caucus event yet.
In her earlier endorsement, Gaines said she’s impressed by Klobuchar’s commitment to addressing and prioritizing mental health.
“As a single mother whose son has multiple disabilities, I value Klobuchar’s work in lifting the stigma attached to mental health disorders and her efforts to ensure that all of us have the chance to be ‘pursued by grace,'” Gaines said. “Her attention to this issue is just one of many examples of why she will be a President who fights for all of us. That’s why I’m proud to endorse her for President of the United States.”
by Paige Godden and Pat Rynard
Posted 6/9/19