Clovis: Likelihood of GOP Senate nominee determined by convention increasing

CEDAR RAPIDS — In the five-way GOP U.S. Senate race, Sam Clovis thinks it's possible there won't be a winner when the June 3 primary election is over.

'There's a chance,' he said in Cedar Rapids Friday. 'There are probably a couple of campaigns that have a legitimate chance of winning in primary night.'

Even though Clovis believes he's one of them, he doesn't have to win the primary to get the nomination. Clovis, a college professor and retired Air Force pilot, believes that ' everyday the likelihood of it going to overtime is building.'

By state law, a candidate must get 35 percent of the primary vote to win the nomination. If no one hits that threshold, the nominee will be determined at a June 14 state convention. To win, the winner must get 50 percent plus one of the votes of the delegates.

If recent polls are accurate — and Clovis won't concede that they are, a convention would be a good outcome for him.

A Loras College Poll taken May 12-13 showed State Sen. Joni Ernst leading the field with 31 percent of the support of likely primary voters followed by Mark Jacobs at 19 percent, Sam Clovis, 9.5 percent; Matt Whitaker, 7.3; Scott Schaben, 2.3; and 29.2 percent undecided.

A PPP poll found Ernst leading with 34 percent followed by Jacobs 1t 18, Clovis at 14 and 6 percent for Whitaker.

The polls, according to Clovis who said he's a 'closet statistician,' reflect name identification, not conviction.

He feels confident that if he gets a chance to address the 2,000 or so delegates to the state convention he has a shot at winning the nomination. That may have been helped Friday with the endorsement of Bill Salier, a pro-life, small-government conservative and co-founder of the group Everyday American. Salier won 42 percent of the GOP vote when he challenged U.S. Rep. Greg Ganske for the nomination to face Sen. Tom Harkin.

Also, with Ernst and Whitaker, Clovis received the blessing of Iowa Right to Life as best meeting its candidate criteria.

Based on his conversations with 'likely GOP primary voters,' Clovis said the top concerns are Obamacare of the Affordable Care Act, big government and government spending.

'So I'm encouraged that they are drawn to my message,' Clovis said.

The candidates have participated in 35 forums over the course of the campaign and have one more — a 6:30 p.m. May 29 debate sponsored by KCCI-TV, which will be livestreamed at www.KCCI.com.

'There's a lot at stake for some of us,' Clovis said. 'It's a pretty steep slope to climb for some.'