Jonathan Martin of the Politico made a splash in the blogosphere with this piece on former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack. She told Martin that she’s “really interested” in running for office someday:
She added: “I think I have all the ingredients, it’s really a matter of timing.”
When she’ll run-and what office she’ll pursue-is less certain, though Vilsack did drop some hints.
The former Iowa First Lady indicated she’d like to mount a campaign as soon as 2012.
“Everything will look different after this election when the state’s redistricted,” Vilsack said.
As for what she’ll run for, she suggested a congressional bid.
“I have more of a legislative personality,” she said.
Many central Iowa Democrats expect Vilsack to run for Congress in the redrawn third district in 2012. If Leonard Boswell wins an eighth term this November, he could easily retire before the next election. Democrats will certainly need a new candidate in IA-03 for the next cycle if Brad Zaun beats Boswell this year.
Ever since Vilsack became involved with the Iowa Initiative to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies (as opposed to Planned Parenthood, a more polarizing organization), I’ve assumed she would become a candidate someday. When Vilsack ruled out challenging Senator Chuck Grassley last fall, she indicated that she would consider a run for office.
Vilsack told Martin, “I want to make a wise choice because I’m very competitive. If I’m going to run, I’m not just going to run to run – I’m going to run to win.” She might not clear the field for a Democratic primary in IA-03, but she would have an excellent chance of winning the nomination. As first lady, she was quite popular, so her chances in a general election would probably be strong, depending on the makeup of the district. Few Iowa Democrats could go into their first campaign with her level of name recognition.
Some Democrats consider Vilsack a possible U.S. Senate candidate if Tom Harkin retires in 2014 or Grassley retires in 2016. My hunch is that Representative Bruce Braley or former Governor Tom Vilsack would be more likely Democratic candidates for a statewide race.
Share any relevant thoughts in this thread.
1 Comment
My thoughts
I think Christie Vilsack would be a terrific candidate for Congress. I wonder though if any insurgent from her left would wage a primary against her for the publicity alone?
Frankly, I’ve always found Christie to be a more engaging public speaker than Tom. It would really depend upon what we look for in a candidate in 2014 when Harkin retires. If we want a passionate speaker on the issues with a populist tone then we go with Braley.
If voters want nuance and more thought out policy positions they will nominate Tom Vilsack. Voters aren’t into nuance right now though, but the pendulum may swing by 2014. If the voters wanted nuance and thoughtful policy decisions Artur Davis would be the never Governor of Alabama.
Honestly though, I’d like to see Tom Vilsack stay at the USDA for eight years. I think that post has pretty much always been neglected to some extent. I personally would prefer Braley to run in 2014 anyway because I think he’s better suited and more hungry for a brawl at this point in his career.
moderateiadem Wed 14 Jul 1:43 PM