Iowa in the National Spotlight—Again
Next Tuesday, President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union Address. As has become customary over the last few decades, the party out of power…in this case, the Republicans…will have the chance to offer a brief rebuttal.
And for the second time in seven years, the rebuttal will be given by an Iowan.
It was announced earlier this week that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver the remarks from Des Moines. As one of the freer states during COVID-19, the governor will no doubt tout how states led by Republicans handled things much better than Democrats—a key message during the upcoming midterm election.
This is a high profile spot for an Iowan, especially one on the 2022 ballot—although the Democrats have had a hard time finding anyone with name recognition or funding to take her on.
That’s no doubt one of the reasons she was selected—it won’t be seen as an election-related move. She has a pretty safe seat, and does not appear to have aspirations for national office or a job in Washington.
That sets her apart from other Republican governors up for re-election this year who also have state success stories to tell. Florida’s Ron DeSantis is seen as a possible future presidential candidate, South Dakota’s Kristi Noem is viewed as national ticket material as soon as 2024—especially if Donald Trump runs for president and he needs a running mate. Greg Abbott of Texas is involved in a state primary only a week after the State of the Union message, so that would seem like putting a thumb on the electoral scale for him.
Recall it was this time in 2015 that a first-year U.S. Senator, Joni Ernst, was tabbed by the GOP to offer the response. Ernst’s and Reynolds’ political careers have been intertwined, and so it is again.
Find me another state with that record—two people in that national spot in such a short time. That is a good thing for Iowa.
