Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
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The race to raise funds in Iowa’s 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts are among “10 FEC reports to watch,” according to Politico.
Reporter Alex Isenstadt wrote Friday evening that the third quarter fundraising totals for U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, and U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, will be barometers in the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Leonard Boswell
Boswell has served in Congress since 1997 and is taking on U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, a Republican formerly of Ames that moved south to challenge Boswell rather than battle King in the newly-drawn 4th Congressional District.
Latham, who has served in the House since 1995, raised more than $1 million in the second quarter and has nearly $1.5 million cash on hand. Boswell took in about $336,000 and has $286,000 on hand.
Isenstadt wrote “the Iowa Democrat needs to prove that he can keep pace.”
“During his more than two decades in elected office, Boswell has established himself as a tenacious campaigner,” he wrote. “But his looming post-redistricting race against GOP Rep. Tom Latham is sure be the most perilous – and expensive – contest of his career. Latham, a House Appropriations Committee cardinal who is close to House Speaker John Boehner, is already hauling in the cash.”
Steve King
Christie Vilsack
Meanwhile, King has found himself trailing former First Lady Christie Vilsack in fundraising in the 4th Congressional District. Vilsack, a Democrat, announced earlier this week she’s raised $754,000 since launching an exploratory committee in April. She has $540,000 cash on hand.
King has not yet announced his fundraising totals for the third quarter, but in the second quarter he raised $210,071, spent $161,197 and had $229,972 on hand. The deadline for reporting is Oct. 15.
Isenstadt wrote King “needs to show that his conservative support can translate to cash.”
“King is a conservative heartthrob, but he’s never faced a race like this one,” Isenstadt wrote. “His opponent: Christie Vilsack, who during her eight years as Iowa first lady defined herself as one of the most influential political players in the state.”
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