The Greene County Republicans’ annual fall fundraiser included the announcement of candidacy by Kirk Hammer for county sheriff.
According to GOP party chair Roger Olhausen, Democrat sheriff Steve Haupert has already announced he will not run for re-election in 2016. Republican chief deputy Jack Williams, who ran against Haupert in the last election, has already announced that he also is a candidate.
About 70 persons attended the dinner at Clover Hall Sept. 22, although more than 120 tickets were sold.
State Representative Jerry Behn and state auditor Mary Mosiman attended and made brief comments.
Steve Scheffler, a member of the Republican National Committee and president of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition told his fellow Republicans that gaining a majority in the Iowa Senate is essential. He also updated them on rules changes for the GOP national convention in Cleveland next summer.
About the 15 Republican candidates for president, he said, “I want to remind you that none of them are perfect candidates. They’re human. They make mistakes. But here’s the deal – your least favorite candidate on the totem pole is 1000 percent better than Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley or anyone else the Democrats put out there,” Scheffler said.
All candidates had been invited to attend the dinner. None were able to be there, but field reps of Carly Fiorona, Sen Ted Cruz, Dr Ben Carson, Sen Lindsey Graham, Gov Jeb Bush and Gov Mike Huckabee were present and all were given the chance to speak on behalf of their candidates.
Additionally, Sam Clovis, Republican candidate for state treasurer in 2014, was there and was introduced by John Thompson. Clovis was on the staff of candidate Gov Rick Perry but is now working for Donald Trump. Clovis spoke briefly about Trump, but then spoke in more general terms.
He said that many of the people who are elected are not equipped to be leaders, and that needs to change. “I believe there is not a person here who does not have a profound belief in God and an equally profound belief in the U.S. Constitution….If we do not have faith and enforce that faith generation after generation, our children will become less and less inclined to believe in the things we believe in….God has blessed the state of Iowa. God has blessed you. God will bless our country if we do the right things,” Clovis said.
Diane Gibson introduced House Speaker-select Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake. Upmeyer is the first woman Speaker of the House in Iowa. She named several things that the Republican House had worked toward in the last legislative session that were not passed in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and said it is critical to reclaim a majority in the Senate.
Jim Ehman provided dinner music for the evening, as well as the National Anthem.
