Ahead in the polls, U.S. Rep. Loebsack not taking re-election for granted

IOWA CITY - He's ahead and he knows it, but U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack isn't taking re-election to a fifth term for granted.

'Look what happened to Eric Cantor,” the Iowa City Democratic told supporters at Hamburg Inn No. 2 Thursday morning. The former House majority leader was defeated in the Virginia GOP primary earlier this year.

'Anybody who has been through this knows that just because you have a lead you don't stop campaigning,” Loebsack told reporters.

So although he has a 49 to 32 percent lead over Republican challenger Mariannette Miller-Meeks in a month-old Loras College Poll, Loebsack continues to do events like his Iowa City meet-and-greet to stay in 'constant contact” with voters.

'It's something I need to do whether I'm in the lead in an election, whether it's an election year or not,” he said. 'I'm very confident and hopeful that I'm going to win re-election, but I take nothing for granted.”

The candidates have faced off twice before and Loebsack is determined that, despite generally good prospects for Republicans this year, the third time won't be the charm for Miller-Meeks. He has agreed to just two debates. The final debate will be at 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Sponsored by the Quad City Times and KWQC-TV6, it will be live-streamed on the station's website with a delayed broadcast at 8 p.m.

Loebsack, who joked that he doesn't know whether his support in Johnson County has increased since he moved there, said he and other candidates need the Democratic stronghold to come through for them.

'I really need your support. Democrats up and down the ticket are going to need your support,” he said. 'It's not going to be an easy election. It's going to be a fight.”

He's well aware that many voters see Congress as dysfunctional and members of Congress as out of touch with the people they represent.

'We get it, you know, that folks don't have a high regard for Congress,” Loebsack said.

So he's trying to stay in touch. Loebsack said he made 300 official visits to the 24-county district last year in addition to campaign-related visits.

Loebsack also talked about being the first member of the Iowa delegation to sign on to the No Budget, No Pay legislation approved in 2013 that requires Congress to pass a budget to get paid.

He's also introduced legislation to cut members' salaries 10 percent and to ban members of Congress from becoming lobbyists.

'We have to hold Congress accountable … and do everything we can to over overcome the dysfunction that stops anything from happening in Washington,” he said.