BONDURANT, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and former U.S. Rep. David Young campaigned at a rally held at Founders Irish Pub located in a growing bedroom community located a few miles northeast of Des Moines. A parade from the Bondurant Soccer Complex that included numerous vehicles with campaign signs and Ernst’s campaign RV preceded the event that lasted almost an hour with approximately 100 in attendance.
State Rep. Brian Lohse, R-Bondurant, who was the first speaker, noted the job growth the town will soon experience.
“It’s so vital that we continue that momentum, that we continue those (conservative) principles as we chug forward through this pandemic, recover from it, and that starts here in Polk County, with Amazon, and everything that’s going to come with it, with Facebook. And we keep chugging that throughout the entire state. And we’re poised with that because we have a fiscal conservative House, we have a conservative Senate, we have a conservative Terrace Hill,” he said.
Amazon will soon open a distribution center in Bondurant that will bring 1000 jobs to the area. Facebook brought numerous jobs with the data centers it built in Altoona.
Gov. Kim Reynolds spoke next. She said that Iowa voters are energized because they understand what is at stake in this election.
“So I just want to say how proud I am to stand with each and every one of you as we fight to defend life, liberty, freedom and a constitution that protects it. I am proud to be a governor that puts her faith in our people, because they are resilient, they are responsible, they are safe, and they will do the right thing,” she said.
She noted how Iowa kept 85 percent of its workforce going throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent shutdowns.
Reynolds spoke about how important it is to send Ernst back to the Senate, Young back to the House, and President Trump back to the White House. She pointed out the millions of out-of-state money pouring into the state supporting Ernst’s Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield.
“It is unconscionable the amount of money that’s being put into this race over 120 million of outside money. They think they can buy this seat, they think they can buy Congress, they think they can buy the presidency,” she said.
Out-of-state money is pouring into congressional and state legislative races as well.
“Who do you think she’s going to be beholden to?” Reynolds asked about Greenfield. “Iowans? No, no, no, not you.”
Ernst spoke next. Bondurant was the last stop for the day on her RV tour going around the state. Her stops today also included her hometown of Red Oak, Council Bluffs, Atlantic, and Des Moines.
Ernst also commented on the money being spent on her race.
“At the end of the day come November 3, we will have seen over $200 million spent on this race alone,” she said, noting Iowa’s U.S. Senate race is the second most expensive in the nation this cycle behind North Carolina’s race.
“These states will determine whether we have a Chuck Schumer majority or whether we retain a Republican majority,” Ernst added.
She criticized Greenfield’s record.
“I have an opponent who is a failed real estate executive. She’s been sued many times over for shoddy workmanship, breach of contract, late payments. What else? Oh yes, that little thing in 2018 called felony election fraud. No way. So Theresa Greenfield saw her campaign in 2018, when she was going to run against David Young, was caught forging signatures on to her petitions to get her name onto the ballot. So is this the type of person – oh and a bankruptcy to the tune of $29 million that she’s stuck to Iowa businesses. Meanwhile, she lives in one of the wealthiest zip codes in the state of Iowa. Does this sound like the type of leader that you want to send to the United States Senate?” Ernst asked.
Contrasting her record with Greenfield’s, she said, “I have truly spent a lifetime of service to my community, to my state, and my nation. Not only have I served in private industry, but I’ve also served as a public county elected official, as a county auditor, in Montgomery County, I served as a state senator in southwest Iowa, now serving in the United States Senate. And I’m so honored to do so. But beyond that, I’ve served over 23 years in the military.”
Ernst’s military service includes the service in the Army Reserves and Iowa Army National Guard where she retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. She is the first female combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate, having led a company of 150 soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait.
“A record of service that I will put up against Theresa Greenfield, any day, any minute of our week,” she said.
Young spoke next and he addressed the consequential nature of the election.
“This one is consequential. We just mentioned the names on the ballot, a lot of big issues out there that affect our lives. This one seems bigger than that, right then just names on a ballot, or just issues. This is really about whether or not we’re going to remain true to the principles and ideals of our founding framers and fathers and remain a republic. Or if we’re going to try something different, that the other side is bringing over pretty aggressively, right? They’re using the term socialism; if they’re gonna bring it to the table, we’re gonna crush it, we’re not gonna eat it, folks. We can’t. We never will,” he said.
“Because this is about freedom. This is about the sovereignty of the individual, right? This is about equal opportunity. This is about where our rights come from God and not government, right? This is about if you do fail, it shouldn’t be at the hands of the government. But if you do, you know that you have a community, you have a family member, a neighbor, even a stranger to help you get up and get to where you need to go and where you need to be because that’s who we are. Now, the other side is about your rights coming from government. And if they can give them to you, they can take them away. They’re about identity politics, and groupthink and tribalism, and equal outcomes, and catering to the lowest denominator. And that crushes the individual. That’s not who we are. So we have a battle on our hands,” he added.
Young criticized his Democrat opponent U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne’s use of the proxy vote, something that House Democrats passed to allow for the first time in history.
“So she hurts Iowa with her votes when she shows up to vote. See, she’s got a little voting problem, right? Not only had she just missed votes, here and there throughout her history as a congresswoman, but you know, she voted for a new house rule never been done before,” he said pointing out Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., introduced it and every Democrat voted for it.
“It says that other members of Congress in other states and districts can vote for other members of Congress. Did you see Jamie Raskin from Maryland’s name on the ballot in 2018? Because he’s been voting for Iowa’s Third District on the floor of the U.S. House,” Young added.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, closed out the rally. He shared an example of the kind of legislation that would pass should Democrats keep their House majority, win the Senate, and win the White House.
“The House of Representatives, including the people that we’re trying to get voted out of office here, have voted for a bill that would repeal the Taft Hartley law of 1947, which in turn repeals 27 state right-to-work laws. In other words, you got to join the union if you want a job,” he said.
“And it’s unconstitutional from the standpoint the right of association on include the right of non-association under the First Amendment,” Grassley added.
He pointed out that out-of-state money is pouring into state legislative races as well pointing out that in State Rep. John Landon’s race in Iowa House District 37, hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent by out-of-state Democrats for one Iowa House seat. Grassley said out of 4000 donors, only 160 come from Landon’s Democratic opponent’s district.
“The rest of them are from California, New York and where else? To buy a seat in the state legislature. We can’t let that happen,” he said.
“And there’s there’s just money pouring in here from all over because they want to reapportion the state legislature so it will benefit the Democrats,” Grassley said adding they also want to stop Republicans from trying to protect the right to life and the right to keep and bear arms.
Grassley went on to explain why Iowans need to re-elect Ernst because of her work ethic and what she does for veterans and farmers.
He highlighted Trump’s record on appointing judges, pointing out that he was the only presidential candidate and president to release a list of people he was considering for the Supreme Court. He said the six to three majority on the court will make an impact for the next generation.
Grassley also spoke out about court packing.
“So don’t let anybody kid you what packing the court is. It’s getting a 10th one and the 11th one, a 12th one and a 13th one, so they can have a seven to six majority on that court,” he said. “If Joni doesn’t get back in, and they will do away with the 60 vote rule, then you know darn well, that we’re going to have the packing of the Supreme Court.”
Grassley reminded voters that President Franklin D. Roosevelt attempted to pack the court, but was stopped by his own party and that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that nine was the right number.
“So how much more proof do you know that after 150 years, we don’t need any more people on the Supreme Court. And the President has kept his promise,” he said wrapping up his remarks.
Watch: