With the newly announced support of six former state legislators, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar brings her Iowa endorsement list total to 24 ahead of this weekend’s Steak Fry. It follows one of her best polling showings in Iowa from this morning, where she was at fifth place with 8%.
Today, Linda Nelson, a former state representative and past chair of the Pottawattamie County Democrats; Roger Stewart, a former state senator from Preston; John Wittneben, a former state representative from Estherville; Kay Halloran, a former state representative and past mayor of Cedar Rapids; David Johnson, a former Republican-turned-independent state senator from Ocheyedan; and Pat Deluhery, a former state senator from Scott County, announced their support for the presidential candidate.
“After spending time with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and watching her in the debates, I know that she is the candidate who can bring this country together,” said Nelson, a retired elementary school teacher and past president of the Iowa State Education Association. “Her broad appeal and desire to unite people around a common cause is what we need in this primary, and exactly what we need in the White House. Not only does she have bold ideas that will make a difference in the lives of Iowans and all Americans, but she has a plan to put them into action and a way to pay for them.”
Johnson, a former Republican legislator who left the party over Donald Trump’s nomination, said the country deserves “a candidate who has a proven record of bringing people together” to solve important issues like climate change.
“It is imperative that our next president not only recognizes the existential threat that climate change poses to our country and the world, but also has a plan to address it,” Johnson said.
In a statement, Stewart said Americans “need a fighter like [Klobuchar] to defeat Trump.”
“Her midwest sensibilities record of getting results greatly impressed me and should impress everyone who wants to move our country forward,” he said.
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After hearing Klobuchar speak in August at the Dickinson County Summer Sizzler, Wittneben’s support for the Minnesota senator solidified.
” … like many others that evening, I felt that Amy was speaking directly to each of us,” Wittneben said. “Since that time, I have found her to be a very dynamic person who’s attuned to the problems we face and someone who has proven that she can work with others to identify solutions to those problems. Amy has the fire to get the job done, and that’s why I’m endorsing her for President.”
Deluhery said Klobuchar’s “midwest perspective is attractive to caucus-goers and voters across the board.”
“Her focus on making sure that kids who grow up in small towns and rural America can stay there is something I’ve spent my career pushing for and I’m happy to work alongside Amy to continue the fight,” Deluhery said.
Other former legislative endorsements include Bill Witt of Black Hawk County and Swati Dandekar of Marion.
According to Starting Line’s endorsement tracker, Klobuchar has the support of more current and former legislators from Iowa than any other presidential candidate.
Her other Iowa endorsements include:
Rep. Molly Donahue
Rep. Marti Anderson
Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines
Former president of the National Corn Growers Association Pam Johnson
Adel City Council member Shirley McAdon
Political and community activists Ruth and Scott Thompson
Community activist Fran Parr
Community activist Jackie Wellman
Community activist Melissa Fath
Former Iowa Democratic Party chair Andy McGuire
Iowa Democratic Party Black Caucus chair Jamie Woods
Dave and Mary Jensen, retired commodity crop farming family in Iowa Falls
Dan and Allison Sorenson, cattleman, commodity crop farmers in Dickens
By Elizabeth Meyer
Posted 9/18/19
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