Boswell "Ready" But Hopes Fallon Primary Doesn't Happen

Boswell "Ready" But Hopes Fallon Primary Doesn't Happen

Congressman Leonard Boswell told Iowa Independent Friday that he hopes former gubernatorial candidate Ed Fallon doesn't challenge him in next year's 3rd District congressional primary, but he'll be ready if it happens.

Last week Iowa Independent reported exclusively that the domain names FallonForCongress.com, FallonForCongress.net, and FallonForCongress.org were registered to an organization called "Fallon for Congress." Since that story, Iowa Independent has also learned that nomination petitions for Fallon have been sent to county Democratic chairs in the 3rd District for placement in caucus packets.


Boswell chats with Hamburg Inn owner Dave Panther.

"I hope he does not run," Boswell told Iowa Independnet during a campaign stop for Hillary Clinton at the Hamburg Inn in Iowa City. "It's time for Democrats to move forward." Boswell was visiting the famous political stop with Clinton's campaign chair, former Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe. "I don't know that it's going to happen, but people have a right to run," said Boswell, "and if it happens we'll be ready for it."

Fallon, who represented a Des Moines state house district from 1992 to 2006, finished an unexpectedly strong third in the 2006 gubernatorial primary with 26 percent. He led the field in the 3rd Congressional District. Fallon was seen as one of the most liberal members of the Iowa House, and if there was a 99 to 1 or 97 to 2 roll calls, Fallon was usually on the short end.

Boswell, on the other hand, is one of the more conservative Democrats in Congress. Rankings at Progressive Punch show Boswell as the 214th most liberal of 233 Democrats in Congress, and actually had him behind Republican Jim Leach for 2006. Boswell's Progressive Punch score moves up to 170th when only this year's votes are included. He recently voted with fellow Iowa Democrats Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack in a failed effort to block $70 billion in funds for the Iraq war, in contract to earlier votes for war funding.

"To get something done you can't be too far over here, too far over there," Boswell told Iowa Independent, gesturing to the left and right. "You've got to go to the middle."