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Republicans irked that Shannon Latham puts up good fight versus Amanda Ragan but predictably lost

Senator Amanda Ragan predictably wins another election.

MASON CITY – State Senator Amanda Ragan’s closest brush with defeat has left many north Iowans shocked, with more than a few Republicans irked at the defeated GOP nominee – whose defeat some of them predicted nearly a year ago.  As NIT earlier reported, some party honchos in Des Moines decided, early on, that Mrs. Latham was to be their party’s candidate. Insiders from both political parties say that this was the GOP’s undoing, and their meddling got Ragan re-elected.

This wasn’t news to Steve Minert, the co-owner of the Harley-Davidson franchises in Mason City and Charles City, who wanted to take on the five-term Ragan in 2018.  But Mr. Minert and Todd Blodgett – who was to have managed the businessman’s campaign – were sidelined by a shadowy, well-funded, Des Moines-based organization called the Majority Fund.  Back in February, the Republican Majority Fund, through operative Edward ‘Eddy’ Failor III, allegedly threatened Minert and Blodgett. Failor, speaking for then-Senator Bill Dix, warned that if Minert entered the race, the Majority Fund would drop major money into Latham’s candidacy.

Linda Upmeyer

Rep. Linda Upmeyer, the Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, who lives in Senator Ragan’s district, didn’t immediately respond to questions from NIT Wednesday morning regarding Latham’s better-than-expected showing.  Cerro Gordo county GOP chairman Barb Hovland earlier expressed strong opposition to what the Des Moines-based Republicans did, as have numerous other Republicans, telling NIT she “would favor the strongest possible GOP candidate” to take on Senator Ragan.  Republicans feel Minert was likely the best candidate.

Some Democrats feared a Minert candidacy would’ve handily beat Ragan, because of his strong presence in Mason City and Clear Lake – which Latham apparently lacked (Ragan handily beat Latham in Cerro Gordo county, for example).  Mr. Minert told NIT he was prepared to kick off his campaign with $150,000 of his own money, in the Primary, and add even more of his own funds in the general election. Republicans and Democrats told NIT that with Todd Blodgett in charge of Minert’s campaign, including raising funds, the Republican challenger would have outspent the incumbent (Ragan) by four, five, or even six-to-one.

Todd Blodgett in the Oval Office with Ronald Reagan, 1988
– Official White House photo

Based on Blodgett’s track record, that claim is very likely true.  Dating back to 1992, candidates that Blodgett has supported have consistently been elected, and out-raised their opponents.  While he is a Republican, Mr. Blodgett has assisted numerous Democrats over the years, and all won. Democrats he has advised include former Cerro Gordo county Supervisors Jay Urdahl and Phil Dougherty, the late Mason City Councilman Alex J. Kuhn, Mason City School Board member Jodi Draper, at-Large City Councilman Paul Adams, and Cerro Gordo county Auditor Adam Wedmore.    

After the election, Senator Ragan thanked her throngs of supporters and said, “Your hard work throughout this campaign paid off, and I am delighted to continue representing you in the Iowa Senate.”  Only a truly-dedicated conservative candidate with the dollars to back him up could have defeated Senator Ragan.

Steve Minert, successful North Iowa businessman who would likely be serving in Des Moines come January had underhanded tactics not de-railed his candidacy.

Minert was unavailable for comment, and Blodgett didn’t return NIT’s calls.  He did, however, reply to an email on Nov. 14. “This campaign is over,” Mr. Blodgett wrote.  “The outcome was as unfortunate as it was predictable. Hopefully, the arrogant know-it-alls down in Des Moines have learned from their mistake and will listen next time.”

In response, NIT emailed Blodgett back and asked him if the lesson for GOP political professionals is to listen to him and heed his advice.  He replied, “yes.”

A Mason City Republican volunteer said, “Todd’s very cocky, but he’s smart, and he knows how to win.  No wonder kids wanted to beat him up in Middle School all the time.  No one dares try that anymore since he’s got a gun now.  All that aside, he was right: had Blodgett run Steve Minert’s campaign, Amanda wouldn’t have stood a chance. It would not have even been close.”

A former county official, a Democrat, told NIT that, “Minert has almost a Donald Trump-like reach.  He’d have run very strong in the blue-collar, working class parts of Mason City. That would’ve made all the difference, because Amanda only hung on by the skin of her teeth, with those votes.”  This source also said, “Nobody – and I mean, NOBODY – hits harder than Mr. Blodgett. I mean, he’s relentless, and he loves doing it. Amanda would’ve not had a clue on how to respond to the attacks that [Blodgett] would have launched against her.  He’d have rocked her world, and it would’ve worked. Then there’s the money. The Republicans would have BURIED Amanda, with Minert running and Todd calling the shots. Had Steve been the challenger, Amanda would be back in the kitchen, full-time.”

The kitchen that the Democrat referenced is the North Iowa Community Kitchen, which Senator Ragan generously operates when she is in Mason City.

Shannon Latham
(via social media)

A retired north Iowa educator and public servant who has been active in Democratic politics for years spoke with NorthIowaToday.com on the condition of anonymity.  This source was direct about what went down. “Let’s just say I’m ecstatic that the Republicans kept their snippy, nasty, deranged pit bull caged-up this time,” he told NIT, referring to Mr.  Blodgett. “I’ve witnessed the damage that Toddy Boy and his arrogant daddy, old Doc, have caused over the years, with their fascist campaigns that got the wrong people elected. Todd has injected Lee Atwater tactics into our area, which is awful.  It’s good that a pro-Blodgett right winger won’t be representing us in the state Senate.” This Democrat added that, “Steve Minert could be a nice guy, and I’ve heard he’s smart, unlike most Republicans. But he’s a rich redneck. Amanda, on the other hand, has a degree in Social Work.  Her seniority counts down at the Capitol and she knows what she’s doing. Electing a rich Harley dealer would be as dumb as sending a rich Orthodontist to represent us,” he said, referring to Todd’s father, Dr. Gary Blodgett.

The senior Blodgett, also a conservative Republican, represented Cerro Gordo county in the Iowa  Legislature from 1992 to 2001, retiring as Deputy Majority Leader before becoming a federal Judge.  “Just because it would’ve pleased the rednecks and the rich doesn’t mean it’s good for the rest of us,” the Democrat said.  “After all, the state Senate shouldn’t be only for rednecks and filthy rich folks.”

 

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