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U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames, was elected to an eighth term Tuesday night, defeating his Democratic challenger, Becky Greenwald of Perry.
With 388 of 454 precincts reporting in the sprawling 28-county Fourth District, Latham had 156,942 votes, 60 percent, to Greenwald’s 104,534, 40 percent.
During the campaign, Latham stressed his record of constituent services and particularly the amount of federal money he helped bring to the district for major infrastructure projects such as the Mason City water treatment plant.
Greenwald, a businesswoman and chairwoman of the Dallas County Democrats, was expected to offer a strong challenge, in part because of the increased number of registered Democrats in the district — outnumbering Republicans for the first time since Latham has been in office.
During her campaign, Greenwald criticized Latham for voting with the Bush administration more than 90 percent of the time.
Latham made note of the fact Tuesday night that there are about 12,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans in the district.
“I have always understood that Iowans don’t just go in and pull a lever, and I think they proved that.
“This was indicative of a great effort by our campaign staff. All of us are victorious tonight.”
Greenwald, moments after calling Latham to congratulate him, told The Globe Gazette, “I hold my head high. This was a wonderful journey we took, and we’ll keep our options open for the future.” |
