Finkenauer picks up major Iowa union backing

CAMPAIGN ALMANAC

Abby Finkenauer’s U.S. Senate campaign received an endorsement Thursday from one of Iowa’s largest unions, which in doing so noted it typically does not endorse in primary campaigns.

The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO endorsed Finkenauer, who is one of three Democrats running for the U.S. Senate in Iowa, according to a news release from the Finkenauer campaign.

The Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, is a state federation of 520 unions that represent more than 50,000 Iowa workers.

Finkenauer, a former Congresswoman and state lawmaker from Cedar Rapids, faces in Iowa’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary Mike Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City, and Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden.

The Republican incumbent is longtime U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who also faces a primary challenge from Jim Carlin, an attorney and state legislator from Sioux City.

“Abby grew up in a union home, and her passion fighting for better wages, lower costs, and real worker voice has been clear since she first stepped up to serve Iowans,” Iowa Federation of Labor president Charlie Wishman said in the news release. “In Washington, Abby delivered ... but so much of Abby’s great work in Washington was stalled and blocked by Senator Grassley and his allies, who have been undermining worker’s rights for decades. We need a new voice fighting for our members in the U.S. Senate, and Abby Finkenauer is the candidate that can defeat Senator Grassley and deliver for working people all across Iowa.”

Iowa’s primary election is June 7.

INCUMBENT TARGETED: A conservative political action group has endorsed another round of Republican legislators, and among them is an incumbent facing a primary challenge.

Americans for Prosperity made six new endorsements, including the primary challenger to Rep. Jon Thorup, an Iowa State trooper from Knoxville.

The group is instead endorsing Barb Kniff-McCulla, a business owner from Pella.

A news release from Americans for Prosperity states Kniff-McCulla would support taxpayer-funded scholarships toward private school tuition. Thorup has said he will not vote for that proposed legislation in the House this year.

Americans for Prosperity also endorsed in other Iowa Republican legislative primary races, supporting incumbent Reps. Matt Windschitl (House District 15), Skyler Wheeler (HD 4) and Eddie Andrews (HD 43), as well as Mark Thompson (HD 56) and Kerry Gruenhagen (Senate District 41) in open-seat races.

Gazette Des Moines Bureau