Lange plans February announcement; has raised $120,000
Republican Ben Lange is reporting he’s raised $120,000 for a rematch with Democratic 1st District Rep. Bruce Braley.
Ben Lange
Lange, who gained national attention in 2010 when he nearly knocked off Braley and held the incumbent to less than 50 percent of the vote, will announce his candidacy in February.
Lange, an Independence attorney, formed an exploratory committee in October to determine whether Iowans were willing to invest in a rematch with Braley. He focused on raising money and meeting voters in all 20 counties in the new district.
“Throughout the exploratory process, I have kept an open mind and listened carefully to the feedback I received,” Lange said. “Our performance last cycle, when no gave us a shot, has instilled confidence in Iowans that this is a race that can be won.”
Lange, 32, notes that in 2010 as a first-time candidate, he had no money, no organization, no name ID and yet lost by just 2 percentage points.
“We have the benefit of certain advantages today that we did not enjoy last time,” Lange said.
For example, it took Lange until the summer of last cycle to raise the level of resources his committee has already secured this cycle.
However, Braley has more than $450,000 cash on hand.
Still, Lange said he’s encouraged “by the level of support that exists in the district for our candidacy.”
“Voters want change and I am prepared to provide it,” he said. “I am looking forward to making an official announcement regarding my candidacy in the coming days.”
Lange may face competition for the GOP nomination in the new 1st District that includes Linn and 19 other counties from the Minnesota border and Mississippi River to Marshalltown.
Rod Blum, 56, of Dubuque, a land developer and CEO of Digital Canal Inc., which develops and designs software for home builders, is running because government has grown “too big, too intrusive and too costly.”
Cedar Rapids businessman Steve Rathje was interested in the race, but ended his campaign citing the need to spend more time on his business. Since then, however, a campaign has started to urge him to get back into the race.
