PRESS RELEASE from Obama for America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2007
 

Contact:
Josh Earnest
Tommy Vietor

268 Iowa Republicans Announce Their Support for Senator Barack Obama

DES MOINES — 268 Iowa Republicans today announced their support for Senator Barack Obama, saying he is the only candidate in either party who can break through the gridlock in Washington because he has a proven record of bringing Republicans and Democrats together to solve problems.  In Illinois, Obama bridged the partisan divide to extend health care to 150,000 Illinois families, pass a $100 million tax cut for working families and enact historic ethics reform.

“With all challenges our country faces, we cannot elect a President who will go to Washington and just get bogged down by the same partisan gridlock,” Brett Blix said. “That’s why I’m supporting Senator Obama even though I’m a Republican. He’s the only candidate in either party with a record of bringing Republicans and Democrats together to solve problems, and he will always tell you where he stands even when you disagree. There are thousands of disaffected Republicans like me who are disappointed by President Bush and the Republican presidential candidates who would consider voting for a Democrat who can bring about change we can believe in.”

Brett Blix is 30-year-old Iraq war veteran from Northwood, Iowa. He recently switched his party registration so that he can caucus for Senator Obama.

This public support from Iowa Republicans is yet another sign of Senator Obama’s crossover appeal. Previously, Obama received third place in a poll of Republican caucus goers – receiving more support from Republicans than Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Sam Brownback combined. University of Iowa Professor and John Edwards supporter David Redlawsk said, “I do think that the message Obama is putting out right now is the most likely to reach across party lines.”

“I’ve always believed that you can only bring about real change when people come together across party lines, and I’ve seen what happens when folks put politics aside and get down to work,” Senator Obama said. “If you can’t bring people together across the old fault lines, you simply aren’t going to be able to make progress on the challenges we face.”

Last weekend, Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle from South Dakota, former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus and former Oklahoma Congressman Brad Carson, all Democrats from so-called red states, criss-crossed Iowa talking about how Obama appeals to the Republicans and Independents in their home states.

The following Iowa Republicans publicly announced their intention to caucus for Obama:
 

 
First Name Last Name City
Judy Baas Algona
Nancy Mueller Algona
David Powell Algona
Carolyn Woodyard Algona
Kevin Hubka Alta Vista
Michael Di Marco Ames
Michael Kostboth Ames
Susan Olson Ames
Cherri Penner Anamosa
Charles Cushman Ankeny
Leslie Dotzenrod Ankeny
Deborah Graham Ankeny
Monica Green Ankeny
Marcia Hartman Ankeny
Michele Nettleton Ankeny
Scott Richardson Ankeny
David Brown Atkins
Robert Einhaus Atlantic
Jerry Grandquist Atlantic
Alyce Lane Atlantic
Patricia Nelson Atlantic
Eugene Smith Atlantic
Richard Roepke Aurora
Rachelle Deeter Baxter
Marjorie Blitgen Bellevue
Curt Hammond Bellevue
Kathy Ohlert Bellevue
Juan Anderson Belmond
John Wiese Bennett
Mary Engel Bettendorf
Patricia Harmon Bettendorf
Lynn Urban Bloomfield
Sara Oliver Bondurant
Phyllis Muse Boone
James Wilson Boone
Ann Earley Brooklyn
Regina Dobroski Burlington
Tammie Radhakrishnan Burlington
Carol Blincow Carroll
Michael Fitzsimmons Carroll
Martin Greenlee Carroll
Andrew Green Cedar Falls
Lynette Keefe Cedar Falls
Debra Nichols Cedar Falls
Vicki Sink Cedar Falls
James Sink Cedar Falls
Cory Wendel Cedar Falls
Amy Yates Cedar Falls
Mark Fiala Cedar Rapids
Wendy Freeman Cedar Rapids
Mitchell Haferbecker Cedar Rapids
Richard Hoth Cedar Rapids
Mary Miller Cedar Rapids
Randy Oakley Cedar Rapids
Sharon Rosenberg Cedar Rapids
Harry Rosenberg Cedar Rapids
Donald Rundle Cedar Rapids
Laverne Severson Cedar Rapids
Brianna Steitzer Cedar Rapids
Jennifer Zahradnik Cedar Rapids
Emma Jean Severson Cedar Rapids
Norman Garson Charlotte
Ann Peck Cherokee
Eveline Will Cherokee
Tonya Clinkenbeard Cincinnati
Virginia Cambier Clarion
William Norris Clear Lake
Cathy Swager Clear Lake
Michelle Markwardt Clinton
Rachel Olsen Clinton
Ronald Robbins Clinton
Colin Faux Clive
Margarita Pina Coon Rapids
Shanita Eze Coralville
Christina Robinson Coralville
Nicholas Sobocinski Coralville
Anne Crowl Council Bluffs
Doreen Knuth Council Bluffs
Martin Leiserowitz Council Bluffs
Jennifer Nelson-Hansen Council Bluffs
Susan Rumbin Council Bluffs
Fannie Carson Creston
Michael Harris Creston
Lori Tull Creston
Denise Moore Cromwell
Marilyn Anderson Davenport
Amir Arbisser Davenport
Andrew Barcus Davenport
Linda Behan Davenport
Julie Jaecques-Gere Davenport
Janet Olt Davenport
Michele Stoos Davenport
Larry Grimstad Decorah
Diane Grimstad Decorah
Shannon Jensen Decorah
Kirk Johnson Decorah
Karen Klotzbach Decorah
Brenda Meyer Decorah
Kenneth Bass Des Moines
Rochelle Bell Des Moines
Lorraine Eldredge Des Moines
Jessica Gathercole Des Moines
Mark Hinshaw Des Moines
Douglas Hutchison Des Moines
Stephanie Wolken Des Moines
Mattie Kitchen Des Moines
Roderick Lewis Des Moines
Angela Riley Des Moines
Alyson Simmons Des Moines
Stephanie Smith Des Moines
Courtney Starbuck Des Moines
Gail Stutz Des Moines
James Sullivan Des Moines
Brenda Turner Des Moines
Suzanne Vocal Des Moines
Mathieu Vocal Des Moines
Jonathan Wolken Des Moines
Jason Wortock Des Moines
April Blasen Dubuque
Margaret Brewer Dubuque
Mark Burns Dubuque
Madeline Cairney Dubuque
Jason Cluff Dubuque
Patrick Hoy Dubuque
John Kalb Dubuque
Mark Klein Dubuque
William Smith Dubuque
Sarah Tayloe Dubuque
John Mehlert Dysart
Garnet Mehlert Dysart
Jeannine Wingert Earling
Melissa Grother Eldridge
Michelle Gifford Elkader
Margaret Beshey Fort Dodge
Charlene Thompson Fruitland
Valesca Gaylord Glenwood
Barbara Brockelsby Glidden
Connie Hansen Greenfield
Eddy Hansen Greenfield
Douglas Freeman Grinnell
Ora Gondwe Grinnell
Lisa Sharp Grinnell
Gary Weideman Griswold
Jennifer Meier Guthrie Center
Steven Smith Guthrie Center
Janice Hershey Hampton
John Leinen Hampton
Dixie Gambaiana Hawarden
Timothy Oneill Hedrick
Rebecca Flannery Hinton
Beverly Juhl Independence
Nick Nichols Indianola
Amber Short Indianola
Ryan Carey Iowa City
Margaret Ebert Iowa City
Mark Logan Iowa City
Sacha Wyckoff Iowa City
Mindy Loll Iowa City
Valdeva McCord Iowa Falls
Jerry Peckumn Jefferson
Peter Holmgren Johnston
Dorothy Sparland Johnston
Jayson Campbell Keokuk
Emmanuel Dass Keokuk
Ruth Egeland Keokuk
Flossie Scott Keokuk
Larry Fuson La Porte City
Carolyn Fuson La Porte City
Linda Phillips Lamoni
Victory Throndson Lawler
Ramona Lang Le Mars
Michelle Baldwin Leon
Robert Raine Logan
Deanna McDermott Manchester
Cody Venzke Manly
David Jost Maquoketa
Arlene Pennington Marion
Stanley Wierson Marion
Carol Wohlleben Marion
Eldon Wohlleben Marion
Angie Johnson Marion
Jerry Johnson Marion
David Perkins Marshalltown
John Sagar Marshalltown
Carole Lerch Martelle
Peter Children Mason City
Susan Kading Menlo
Jack Kading Menlo
Scott Allen Monticello
Jo Bader Monticello
Max Buckner Mount Ayr
Joleen Nelson Woods Mount Vernon
Danny Cornell Mt Pleasant
Garth Ganka Mt Pleasant
Robert Struble Mt Pleasant
Patricia Collins Muscatine
Thomas Kindler Muscatine
Janet Kindler Muscatine
Margaret Wilson Muscatine
Richard Wilson Muscatine
Gerald Dietz Nashua
Kathleen Boss New Hampton
Lisa Bernal Newton
Debra Simmons Newton
Sibyl Smith Newton
Brett Blix Northwood
Ronnie Millard Oelwein
Kathy Millard Oelwein
Hazel Orr Orient
James Orr Orient
Michael Walker Orient
Mark Meier Perry
Clarence Busch Persia
Marilyn Porter Polk City
Christopher Schnuelle Postville
Marlys Sowers Postville
Deann Frisk Randall
Richard Baldwin Red Oak
Sharon Parrish Red Oak
Jeannie Melhus Reinbeck
Jolene Rogers Ringsted
Evelyn Baldwin Rock Rapids
Gary Patton Rock Rapids
Ronald Smith Sergeant Bluff
Mary Harms Shenandoah
Robin Lane Shenandoah
Maurice Reavis Shenandoah
Velesta Reavis Shenandoah
Shirley Teachout Shenandoah
Barry Eldal Sibley
Jennifer Clark Sidney
Heather Slater Sidney
Kerrie Summers Sioux Center
Cleo Harder Sioux City
Carleton Helseth Sioux City
Eloyce Keating Sioux City
Jennifer Wyland Sioux City
Leeann Roberts Solon
Benjamin Sorden Solon
Theresa Sedlacek Solon
Caleb Stoever Spencer
Earl Dick Stuart
Betty Dick Stuart
Erin Heitland Thorton
Barbara Cary Tipton
Connie Bouhaik Urbandale
Teri Wagoner Urbandale
Carolyn Phippen Vinton
Ruby Abebe Waterloo
Carol Butler Waterloo
Edward Madlock Waterloo
Gary Olson Waterloo
David Rainey Waterloo
Lee Anderson Waukon
Roxanne Mills Waverly
Janene Studer Wesley
David Camp West Burlington
Steven Young West Burlington
Albert Ngoytz West Des Moines
David Basler West Des Moines
Jan Caruthers West Des Moines
Sharon Fisher West Des Moines
Mark Lacroix West Des Moines
Margaret Nelson West Des Moines
Mark Wellman West Des Moines
Pauline McAreavy Williamsburg
James Mease Winterset
Jillian Gaiser Woodbine