Some big 2008 Obama supporters on new list of Iowa Women for Hillary

Today Hillary Clinton’s campaign released names of “nearly 200 women from all of Iowa’s 99 counties including nearly two dozen State Legislators, County Chairs and local elected officials” who support Clinton’s presidential bid. I’ve enclosed the full list after the jump. Many of these women also backed Clinton for president before the 2008 Iowa caucuses, such as former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell, former State Senator Staci Appel, and Ruth Harkin.

Nine women currently serving in the Iowa House are on the Iowa Women for Hillary list: State Representatives Marti Anderson, Timi Brown-Powers, Abby Finkenauer, Ruth Ann Gaines, Vicki Lensing, Mary Mascher, Jo Oldson, Sally Stutsman, and Phyllis Thede. Lensing and Mascher were among 21 state lawmakers who backed Clinton before the 2008 caucuses. Oldson was also in the legislature then; to my knowledge, she did not endorse a candidate before the 2008 caucuses. I am seeking confirmation and will update as needed.

The others were not in the state legislature in 2007, but Anderson and then Johnson County Supervisor Stutsman were high-profile supporters of Clinton’s campaign. Thede and Gaines were county leaders for Obama. I don’t know whether Finkenauer and Brown-Powers were active volunteers for any of the presidential campaigns that year. UPDATE: Brown-Powers told me that she caucused for Obama but was not active in the campaign.

Two current Iowa Senate Democrats are on the new Iowa Women for Hillary list: Janet Petersen backed Obama in 2007, as a member of the Iowa House. Liz Mathis was not a state lawmaker that year, and I am not aware of her publicly endorsing a candidate.

State Representatives Cindy Winckler and Beth Wessel-Kroeschell endorsed Clinton as Iowa House members in 2007 but have not done so this year. I am seeking comment from both on whether they have picked a different candidate, are undecided, or plan not to endorse before the 2016 caucuses.

Like Gaines and Thede, several other women on today’s press release were among the Obama campaign’s county leaders in 2007, such as Peggy Bramman (Delaware County), Clara Oleson (Cedar County), and Debbie Gitchell and Jan Bauer (Story County).

I got a kick out of seeing Bauer’s name, because earlier this year, she told the Washington Post that she was “waiting to see how aggressively pursued I am” before picking a candidate. Bleeding Heartland cited that comment as an unfortunate example of prairie prima donna behavior, which hurts the Iowa caucuses.

The best-known onetime John Edwards supporter on the new Women for Hillary list is Roxanne Conlin, a former U.S. attorney and Democratic nominee for governor and U.S. Senate. She came out for Clinton a few months ago.

Two other prominent Iowa women who weren’t on today’s press release are worth noting as once-dedicated Obama supporters backing Clinton for president in 2016. Jackie Norris was an early Obama campaign staffer in 2007 and ran Obama’s 2008 general election campaign in Iowa. Early last year, she showed up for the “Ready for Hillary” super PAC’s first event in this state. Former Iowa Democratic Party chair Sue Dvorsky announced in June that she will be helping Clinton’s campaign build support for next year’s caucuses.

Iowa women supporting Hillary Clinton, named in an August 20 press release:

Nola Vorrath, Community Activist, Adair

Hilary Mallet, Community Activist, Adams

Ann Hart, Retired Elementary School Principal, Allamakee

Janice Bolger, Educator, Church Secretary, Director of Local Food Pantry, Appanoose

Julie Carol Williams, Audubon

Jennifer Rowray, Benton

Rosemary Schwartz, Chair, Benton County Democrats, Benton

Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, State Legislator, Black Hawk

Lee Byrd, Retired Educator, Black Hawk

Roberta White, Mail Handler, Boone

Susan Vallem, Social Worker and Advocate/Professor Emeritus, Wartburg College, Bremer

Pamela Wolter, Business Professional and Conservationist, Bremer

Margaret Damge, Retired Farmer, Buchanan

Sara Huddleston, Storm Lake City Councilor, Buena Vista

Carol Lytle, Retired Educator, Buena Vista

Carol Peterson, Retired Educator, Buena Vista

Claudia Bolles, Community Activist, Butler

Linda Luhring, Retired Social Worker and Community Volunteer, Calhoun

Marcia Kollasch, Retired Retail Manager, Emphasis on Women in Leadership, Carroll

Rolene Britson, Retired, Cass

Clara Oleson, Retired Labor Educator, Feminist and Community Activist, Cedar

Tracy Smith, Consultant, Cerro Gordo

Peggy Leifer, Caregiver, Cherokee

Sandra Burgart, Retired Technical Analyst, Chickasaw

Cathlene Jones, Community Activist, Clarke

Anne Slattery, Stay-at-Home Mom, Clay

Maria Brummel, Retired, Activist, Clayton

Mary Jo Petersen, Educator, Clinton

Dawn Sturm, Cosmotologist, Trustee on Manilla Utilities Board, Crawford

Deb Bell, Small Business Owner, Dallas

Susan Terry Knapp, Dallas

Marcia Wanamaker, Realtor, Dallas

Brenda Johnson, Businesswoman, Davis

Cheryll Jones, Nurse, Davis

Sherry Morain, Member of the Lamoni City Council and Community Social Worker, Decatur

Peggy Bramman, Retired Educator, Delaware

Elaine Baxter, Former Secretary of State, Des Moines

Nancy Courtney, Des Moines

Joni Gillispie, Disabled, Disability Advocate, Des Moines

Kathy Rashid, Physician’s Assistant (PA), Des Moines

Sara Koepp, Activist, Dickinson

Vicki Perry, Retired Educator, Dickinson

Rep. Abby Finkenauer, State Legislator, Dubuque

Caroline Koppes, Activist, Dubuque

Judy Schmidt, Retired Educator (English Teacher), Disability and Education Activist, Dubuque

R.R.S. Stewart, Adjunct Professor, Civil Rights Researcher, Writer, Parliamentarian, Activist, Dubuque

Carrie Tedore, Senior Communications Specialist and Community Activist, Dubuque

Kathleen Graves, Farmer, Retired Instructor, Emmet

Coral Robinson, Retired, Fayette

Laurie Davis, Community Activist, Floyd

Ellen Doll-Brewer, Retired Social Worker, Floyd

Catherine Crooks, Small Business Owner, Franklin

Amy McCollum-Most, Consultant, Fremont

Lola Booth, Retired Office Manager, Greene

Phyllis Holland, Women’s Advocate, Grundy

Kathy Miller, Chair, Guthrie County Democrats, Guthrie

Mary Mincer Hansen, R.N., Ph.D, Guthrie

Janet Adams, Former State Legislator, Hamilton

Brooke Penning, Hancock

Susan Hassman, Children’s Librarian, Hardin

Dolores Wolf, Retired Health Care Consultant, Hardin

Norma Coret, Retired, Harrison

Chris Anderson, Technical Training Coordinator, Henry

Lynda Mikkelson, School Transportation, Howard

Kerin Sorensen, Reverend, Presbyterian Minister, Humboldt

Lenee Sinnott, Ida

Elizabeth Russell, Retired Retail Worker, Iowa

Carol Hammill, Jackson

Cindy Pollard, Activist, Jasper

Gayla Snook, Program Manager for Persons with Disabilities, Jasper

Susie Drish, Chair, Jefferson County Democrats, Jefferson

Carter Bell, Student, Johnson

Melissa Fath, Activist, Johnson

Melanie Gross, Activist, Johnson

Rep. Vicki Lensing, State Legislator, Johnson

Janet Lyness, Johnson County Attorney, Johnson

Rep. Mary Mascher, State Legislator, Johnson

Amy Nielsen, Mayor of North Liberty, Johnson

Kim Painter, Johnson County Recorder, Johnson

Cindy Riley, Small Business Owner, Former VP in Manufacturing Sector, Johnson

Rep. Sally Stutsman, State Legislator, Johnson

Mary Westbrook, Retired Executive, Johnson

Jan Clark, Nurse Practitioner, Jones

Mary Krier, Chair, Keokuk County Democrats, Keokuk

Christine Greene Louscher, Retired Psychotherapist, Kossuth

Amanda Redenius, Retired Educator, Kossuth

Melissa Law, Manager and Business Owner of Law Automotive, Lee

Myrt Bowers, Retired, Linn

Lee Clancey, Former Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Linn

Karen Hartlep, Retired Educator, Linn

Sen. Liz Mathis, State Legislator, Linn

Marcia Rogers, Small Business Owner, Linn

Libby Gotschall Slappey, Community Activist, Linn

Sunny Story, Retired Educator, Linn

Sara Todd, Nurse, Linn

Kathy Ulrich, Retired Educator, Linn

Linda Langston, Linn

Kay Halloran, Linn

Mary Best, Banking Cashier and Operations Manager, Louisa

Jean Delzell, Activist, Louisa

Joan Amos, Chair, Lucas County Democrats, Lucas

Teresa Dixson, Communicator, Lucas

Helen Petersen, Retired Educator, Lyon

Jolyn Meehan, Registered Nurse, Madison

Kellene Wheeler, Driver, Mahaska

Phyllis Weeks, Activist, Marion

Debra Lang, Machine Operator, Marshall

Madelyn Mayberry, Marshall

Danielle Bueltel, Special Education Associate, Mills

Jeanette Armstrong, Former County Chair, Mitchell

Paula Meyer, President, Friends of Ngong Road Foundation, Mitchell

Betty “B.J.” Abrams, Veteran, Retired Nurse, Monona

Karan Beebe, Retired Nurse, Monroe

Rebecca Kaiser, Retired Educator, Montgomery

Sara Sedlacek, Development Professional, Muscatine

Angela McCuddin, Activist, O’Brien

Denise Cummins, Radiologic Technologist, Osceola

Jennifer Herrington, Chair, Page County Democratic Party, Page

Kay Kibbie, Democratic Activist, Palo Alto

Katharine Klave, Writer, Plymouth

Carmella Schultes, Association Executive, Pocahontas

Rep. Marti Anderson, State Legislator, Polk

Som Baccam, R.N., Member of the Board of Trustees, Broadlawns Hospital, Polk

Stacie Bendixen, Communications Specialist, Polk

Margaret Borgen, Former Des Moines School Board Member, Community Volunteer, Polk

Kerry Bowen, Retired Union Organizer, Polk

Liz Brennan, West Des Moines School Board Member, Polk

Lauren Burt, Corporate Communications Manager, Polk

Elisabeth Buck, Community Leader, Polk

Bonnie Campbell, Former Attorney General, Polk

Claire Celsi, Small Business Owner, Polk

Jean Classon, President, Iowa NOW, Polk

Alicia Claypool, Former Chairperson, Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Activist, Polk

Roxanne Conlin, Attorney, Polk

Lisa Deaton, Mortgage Banking, Business Process Consultant, Polk

Fran Fleck, Community Volunteer, Polk

Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, State Legislator, Polk

Leslie Gearhart, Self Employed, Real Estate, Polk

Linda Goeldner, Former Executive Director, Iowa Nurses Association, Polk

Carolyn Jenison, Chief Executive Officer, Polk

Jill June, Retired, Former President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Polk

Lynzey Kenworthy, Attorney, Polk

Natalie Koerber, Public Affairs Professional, Polk

Diane Kolmer, Retired Director of Government Affairs, Polk

Rep. Jo Oldson, State Legislator, Polk

Sally Pederson, Former Lt. Governor, Polk

Sen. Janet Petersen, State Legislator, Polk

Vidhya Reddy Bagniewski, Attorney, Polk

Julie Stauch, President and CEO of Julie Stauch and Associates, LLC, Polk

Susan Voss, Community Activist, Polk

Margi Weiss, Non-Profit Fundraising Consultant, Polk

Calvetta Williams, Founder, Mothers Against Violence, Polk

Angela Lewis, Pottawattamie

Maggie Ashford, Retired, Tech and Nonprofit Sector, Poweshiek

Kathryn Henderson, Retired Educator, Ringgold

Joleen Bachman, Retired Educator, Sac

Patricia Baxter, Community Activist, Scott

Judy Collins, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Scott

Roxanna Moritz, Scott County Auditor, Scott

Nancy Seidler, Retired Nurse, Scott

Rep. Phyllis Thede, State Legislator, Scott

Judy Voss, Air Force Veteran, Retired Nurse, Activist, Scott

Gloria Hargens, Community Volunteer, Shelby

Julie Theulen, Chair, Shelby County Democrats and Educator, Shelby

Kelsey Kleinwolterink, Sioux

Jan Bauer, Chair, Story County Democrats, Story

Debbie Gitchell, Activist, Story

Johnie Hammond, Former State Senator, Story

Phyllis Peters, Community Relations Manager, Story

Jessica Reynolds, Attorney, Story

Deborah “Jaz” Brittain, Homemaker, Tama

Helen Rogers, Taylor

Joann Bradley, Retired, Union County Board of Supervisors, Union

Twyla Peacock, Chair, Van Buren County Democrats, Van Buren

Heather Weber, Educator, Van Buren

Nancy Emanuel, Retired School Nurse and Health Educator, Wapello

Pam Picken, Activist, Wapello

Staci Appel, Former State Senator, Warren

Ruth Harkin, Iowa Leader, Warren

Minoo Spellerberg, Chief Compliance Officer, Warren

Karen Gorham, Community Activist, Washington

Michaela King, Support Center Analyst, Wayne

Kim Motl, Housing Coordinator, Upper Des Moines Opportunity, Webster

Cindy Henn, Retired Documentation Coordinator, Winnebago

Joy Newcom, Activist and Writer, Winnebago

Ann Mary Landstrom, Higher Education Advisor and Administrator, Winneshiek

Becky Olafsen, Activist, Retired Educator, Winneshiek

Anita Wendt, Retired Educator, Woodbury

Suzanne Evans, Retired Educator, Worth

Angela Wesselink, Social Worker, Wright

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