2016 challenger not a surprise to Blum, who defends vote against Boehner

DES MOINES - U.S. Rep. Rod Blum said Thursday he's not surprised that nine days after being sworn in as a member of Congress he has drawn a 2016 opponent.

Earlier in the day, Democrat Monica Vernon of Cedar Rapids announced she will challenge the freshman Republican.

Blum, who was sworn in Jan 6 after winning in a Democratic-leaning district, said he assumed he would go to Washington with a target on his back.

'When I was in Washington for freshmen orientation I saw a magazine with my picture and it said ‘These freshmen may be on their way out before they're sworn in,'” Blum said. 'So there never was a honeymoon.”

Having a challenger - and there may be more, according to Democrats, won't change the way he goes about his new job, the Dubuque businessman said.

'I'm focused on policy - raising the wages of Eastern Iowans and fulfilling the campaign promises,” he said.

Blum believes he's doing that with his votes against GOP Speaker John Boehner and for limiting the president's executive actions on immigration.

In her announcement, Vernon, a former business owner and an eight-year member of the city council, said the vote against Boehner confirmed Blum is a tea party 'obstructionist - someone who will obstruct rather than move forward.”

However, Blum believes that vote confirmed that he's not in Congress to do business as usual.

'I always said I would go to Washington and vote against the status quo,” he said, adding that he told voters 'I will vote against my own party when I don't agree with them.”

He believes that message resonated with independent voters and some Democrats.

Boehner, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama 'represent the status quo and people are tired of the status quo.”

It wasn't easy to vote against Boehner, 'but I kept my word. I voted for change.” He's heard from about 1,000 Iowans who appreciated that vote.

He's glad the vote is behind him and Blum doesn't expect there will be any backlash.

'I spoke to Speaker Boehner on the floor (Wednesday) and we had a good chuckle,” he said. 'He won the election and I respect that. We have to work together, but I report to the voters in Eastern Iowa, not to John Boehner.”