Not that she would have a chance in hell of beating him:
Amid a heated controversy over a Supreme Court vacancy, Democrats in Iowa and nationally are weighing whether Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, considered nearly unbeatable, may now be vulnerable.
Patty Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor and secretary of agriculture, told The Des Moines Register she believes Grassley deserves a real race in 2016 — and that she’s thinking about running.
“I’m not ruling it out,” Judge said Thursday morning when reached at home in Albia.
Judge, who was twice elected statewide as the secretary of agriculture before serving as lieutenant governor under Chet Culver from 2007 to 2011, said Grassley deserves a strong challenge this year because of the distinctly un-Iowan way he’s handled the High Court vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death earlier this month.
“Iowans have always been straight shooters, and up until the recent time I would have said the same thing about Chuck,” Judge said.
Grassley is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the confirmation process for court appointees. He announced this week that the committee will not even hold confirmation hearings for a nominee offered by Democratic President Barack Obama — which would essentially end the process even before it begins.
He and other Senate Republicans contend that delaying confirmation until 2017 will give voters a voice in the appointment, since they'll elect a new president in November.
“I don’t like this double-speak," Judge said. "I don’t like this deliberate obstruction of the process. I think Chuck Grassley owes us better. He’s been with us a long time. Maybe he’s been with us too long.”
Three Democratic candidates have already announced plans to challenge the six-term U.S. senator: state Sen. Robb Hogg of Cedar Rapids and former lawmakers Bob Krause of Fairfield and Tom Fiegen of Clarence.
Hogg, who last month announced endorsements from 61 of his fellow Democratic state lawmakers, said interest in his campaign has been “off the charts” in recent days, with increased contributions and heightened social media interest.
No matter who runs, though, challenging Grassley represents a monumental task. Grassley has held elective office since 1959, is nearly universally known in Iowa and routinely rates as the most popular politician in the state. His seniority and powerful committee positions in the Senate, moreover, ensure vast financial and institutional support.
Any challenger would require major assistance from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which raises money and provides logistical support in competitive races across the country.
A spokeswoman for the committee would not discuss candidate recruitment efforts on Thursday, but suggested challengers may be emboldened by Grassley's role in the nomination fight.
“By refusing to hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee, Sen. Grassley has decided not to do his job,” DSCC National Press Secretary Lauren Passalacqua said in a statement. “His obstruction is yet another factor weakening his case for re-election.”
A Democrat jumping in the race now also faces another hurdle: a narrow window to get on the ballot. Candidate filing begins next Monday and closes March 18. To qualify for the June 7 primary ballot, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate must gather at least 2,104 signatures from Iowa voters, and those signatures must come from at least 10 different counties.
Candidates often collect their signatures at party caucuses, which were held three weeks ago. To gather them now, party officials said, probably requires hiring a vendor and quickly sending them across the state to get the necessary signatures before the March 18 deadline.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...lenge-grassley-patty-judge-thinking/80931534/
Amid a heated controversy over a Supreme Court vacancy, Democrats in Iowa and nationally are weighing whether Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, considered nearly unbeatable, may now be vulnerable.
Patty Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor and secretary of agriculture, told The Des Moines Register she believes Grassley deserves a real race in 2016 — and that she’s thinking about running.
“I’m not ruling it out,” Judge said Thursday morning when reached at home in Albia.
Judge, who was twice elected statewide as the secretary of agriculture before serving as lieutenant governor under Chet Culver from 2007 to 2011, said Grassley deserves a strong challenge this year because of the distinctly un-Iowan way he’s handled the High Court vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death earlier this month.
“Iowans have always been straight shooters, and up until the recent time I would have said the same thing about Chuck,” Judge said.
Grassley is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the confirmation process for court appointees. He announced this week that the committee will not even hold confirmation hearings for a nominee offered by Democratic President Barack Obama — which would essentially end the process even before it begins.
He and other Senate Republicans contend that delaying confirmation until 2017 will give voters a voice in the appointment, since they'll elect a new president in November.
“I don’t like this double-speak," Judge said. "I don’t like this deliberate obstruction of the process. I think Chuck Grassley owes us better. He’s been with us a long time. Maybe he’s been with us too long.”
Three Democratic candidates have already announced plans to challenge the six-term U.S. senator: state Sen. Robb Hogg of Cedar Rapids and former lawmakers Bob Krause of Fairfield and Tom Fiegen of Clarence.
Hogg, who last month announced endorsements from 61 of his fellow Democratic state lawmakers, said interest in his campaign has been “off the charts” in recent days, with increased contributions and heightened social media interest.
No matter who runs, though, challenging Grassley represents a monumental task. Grassley has held elective office since 1959, is nearly universally known in Iowa and routinely rates as the most popular politician in the state. His seniority and powerful committee positions in the Senate, moreover, ensure vast financial and institutional support.
Any challenger would require major assistance from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which raises money and provides logistical support in competitive races across the country.
A spokeswoman for the committee would not discuss candidate recruitment efforts on Thursday, but suggested challengers may be emboldened by Grassley's role in the nomination fight.
“By refusing to hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee, Sen. Grassley has decided not to do his job,” DSCC National Press Secretary Lauren Passalacqua said in a statement. “His obstruction is yet another factor weakening his case for re-election.”
A Democrat jumping in the race now also faces another hurdle: a narrow window to get on the ballot. Candidate filing begins next Monday and closes March 18. To qualify for the June 7 primary ballot, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate must gather at least 2,104 signatures from Iowa voters, and those signatures must come from at least 10 different counties.
Candidates often collect their signatures at party caucuses, which were held three weeks ago. To gather them now, party officials said, probably requires hiring a vendor and quickly sending them across the state to get the necessary signatures before the March 18 deadline.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...lenge-grassley-patty-judge-thinking/80931534/
