Yesterday Senate Republicans elected Sen. Paul McKinley to lead them in the State Senate. The move came as no surprise as many of the Senators who supported Sen. Ron Wieck are no longer serving in the Senate. McKinley a conservative Republican, now resides over a more unified caucus than his predecessors when it comes to ideology. I think there will be a noticeable difference coming from the minority in the Senate this session.
While the State House has been the focus for Iowa Republicans in the past 2 elections, it’s the Senates turn to get some much needed love and attention. While Republicans are firmly in the minority with only 18 Republicans compared to 32 Democrats, it’s the senate who has some very good opportunities to pick up seats in the next election. Sure it might take time to regain the majority, but it’s an effort we must be committed to.
Congratulations to Senator McKinley and his leadership team.
With 2 of the 3 leadership positions filled with new blood and fresh ideas, we now look to the State Party to see who they reach out to. The names that have been floated are as follows.
Ted Sporer
Gopaul Krishna
Danny Carroll
Marlys Popma
Bill Dix
Matt Randall (SCC Member)
Matt Strawn
Paul Pate
And expect more names to emerge.
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Which of these candidates has proven they know how to win statewide, in the legislature and in local government?
ReplyDeleteI think that answer is who our next chairman should be.
McKinley will be an excellent change of pace to help usher in the new age of Senators/Leaders i.e. Kim Reynolds, Shawn Hammerlink, Tim Kapucian. And there are certainly more to come in 2010 as well. On top of that the more Matt Strawn's name is floated out there the more I feel us turning this thing around in a big time way! Strawn is exactly the new strong confidant exciting leadership the party needs!
ReplyDelete-Optimistic Republican
Oh Yea!
ReplyDeleteGood for McKinley, conservatives and the Madness! The era of Lundby and Wieck is over!!!
Oh yea!!!
Strawn has statewide experience, DC ties, knows how to raise money, young, successful, on IRTL board (conservative), friends with many moderates (Lamberti, Beech).
ReplyDeleteHe helped bring the barnstormers back...he can bring us back.
Game.
Set.
Match.
Pate:
ReplyDeleteIowa Secretary of State
Mayor of Cedar Rapids
Iowa State Senator
Past President of the Iowa League of Cities
Past President of the Linn Eagles
Self made successful CEO/business owner
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Chaired the committee on Homelessness
Never lost an election to a democrat in his life.
Chairman is not a job for hacks, its a job for leaders and statesmen that have proven they can win. I am tired of hearing people TALK about how they can win when they have lost two consecutive state house races or a failed congressional primary bid or just been ousted from leadership by their own caucus.
Thw whole point of electing a new chairman or chairwoman is to turn things around. The best way to know what they will do is by looking at what they have done.
Krusty, what say you?
Cross Marlys of the list. Nobody who thought McCain would be a good nominee should be on that list.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with anon 11:11 Marlys shouldn't be on the list. Its not because she worked for McCain. If they know how to win and are committed to building a party then lets consider them. Banishing anyone with ties to McCain eliminates a lot of talent. There were many people in McCain world who didn't support everything their guy supported, but have a lot of political talent. Precluding someone simply because they supported the other guy in the primary is why we are where we are.
ReplyDeleteI think the post was questioning her judgement as it was clear that he was an uninspiring nominee the likes we have only seen in Bob Dole. At least that is how I interpreted it. I also would not disqualify anyone solely on who they supported in a primary.
ReplyDeletePate would be really good but are there any other names yet to come? I'd hate to see a chairmans race turn into another caucus sized primary fight pitting friends against friends when we are trying to rebuild from the rubble.
All I care is that we can get someone who is conservative, can win, and can get beyond the I-80 corridor and think about the whole state.
ReplyDeleteChairman is for Statesmen, eh?
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Scott Brennen with the Iowa Democratic Party was such a Statesman!
Learn something new every day.
Who is floating the names, and how many of these are really looking for the job?
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can see, the change needs to happen within the SCC before anyone with value will even consider it. They are a joke!
What sort of change are you looking for Anon 1:39?
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Obama's chant of/for change and seeing the second coming of the Cinton admin, could you be more specific??
If you won't say who should go .... who should stay?
As far as Danny Carroll goes... I really dont think he is a good fit.
ReplyDeleteHe is for lack of a better term, a loser.
We need a winner.
That's about as dumbed down as I can put it
Danny Carroll is the best man for the job. It is really a non issue that Danny lost his election, I am a candidate that ran a successful campaign and won. Candidate's win election and not the chair. The chair is someone that needs to bring the party together. Danny is a natural born leader and can truly bring the different fractions of the party together without alienating any and without compromising the state platform or the conservative movement. He is someone that fits the bill for what we need. He is able to be a peace maker and help heal the party and prepare it for someone to come in and pick up after this stage of the rebuilding is over. You cannot ask for a better transitional person then Danny Carroll.
ReplyDeleteSure pick the guy that has lost two straight elections, THAT is what we need for our party more losers.
ReplyDeleteHow is he going to bring the party together when he cant bring enough voters together to win the election?
ReplyDeleteI dont see how Carroll's loss is a non-issue. We aren't going to pick John McCain to lead the GOP are we?
Rather ironic isn't it that we are talking about people who have lost elections like they are not as good as those who have won. Now how many elections did Lincoln lose? It's a sure bet that those of you who call someone a loser for losing an election have never run for office in the public arena. Probably not in Sunday School either!
ReplyDeleteAre guys forgetting about the 6 straight elections he won? Or maybe that when you have a race like Danny's it is not the candidates that makes the decision on a race like his you have people like Rants coming in and throwing money into his race and making decisions without your in put and actually doing damaging. But most people do not comprehend how a race like Danny's is ran. The house majority fund chooses the mail, the commercials, the radio and then you go door to door and try and explain why the mail said what it said!!! Danny is no John McCain first of all McCain lost because he was a moderate trying to be a conservative and second John McCain had the final say on his ads unlike a Iowa statehouse candidate.
ReplyDeleteSecond of all it if you check your numbers he wond on election day and lost by absentee ballots which is not his fault that the D's have embraced and funded the absentee ballot program while the republican party leadership has not come to terms with the changes the D's have made and I can tell you Danny understand this.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Carroll understands election law and how to combat electioneering and voter fraud like the former Iowa Secretary of State. Especially since Carroll let it happen to him a second time. Yet another example of how Pate is more qualified.
ReplyDeleteDanny Carroll? Is that you George Eichorn posting that you think Danny Carroll is our savior?
ReplyDeleteCan we set the bar a little higher?
Huh I guess you guys do not read all the and then just extract what you prefer to first of all I said I won an election this year so I guess that is I am not George Eichorn I did not say Danny Carroll was our savior I said he is a transitional figure to heal the party. But I guess we will have to see where the chips fall and I have a good indication where that is going to be.
ReplyDeletePaul Pate for Iowa GOP Chairman!
ReplyDeleteHe is a proven leader and he can WIN!
He's got a record.
Paul Pate for Iowa GOP Chairman!
ReplyDeleteThey guy knows how to win. He has led in some of the most liberal parts of the state. He can help Republicans through out the entire state. He has been a candidate and won as in a state-wide office. He is a proven, understanding leader. Tested. Ready. Now. Plus, he is a true conservative. Times like these, we need a leader.
Paul Pate, a great leader for Iowa GOP.
Sorry Krustards, Pate has way too many skeletons, the closest door is ready to burst as soon as someone makes it official. Keep looking....
ReplyDelete7:42,
ReplyDeleteYou gutless wonder. You'll never be half the man Paul Pate is.
And from your post I can tell that you are a democratic visitor to the premiere politcal blog in Iowa, so allow me to leave you with this:
Pate has won at the local, legislative and statewide levels in Iowa and never lost to a democrat. Never. So bring it.
Change is coming.
What yoda said.
ReplyDeleteI'm at work so I have to stay anonymous. I wish there was a way to prevent adhominem attacks by anonymous posters who give the rest of us a bad name.
I'm not 7:42 but I disagree that Mr. Pate is a good choice for state chair.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but I think it's time to look FORWARD not backward. I appreciate that Mr. Pate has served our party and state, but he really isn't the answer to our problems.
Back to the drawing board, I say.
Pate=bad decision.
ReplyDeleteYou can keep him in Cedar Rapids Yoda!