National Organization for Marriage Endorses Republican in Important Iowa Senate Race

The Family Research Council Bus Tour stopped in Marion Monday morning to endorse District 18 candidate Cindy Golding in front of 15 visitors in a far corner of the parking lot.

Golding blamed the media at the event — specifically calling out The Cedar Rapids Gazette — for making the Iowa State Senate District 18 special election focused on same-sex marriage. She said this while appearing alongside leaders from the National Organization for Marriage, Iowa Right to Life and The Family Leader.

"I want to encourage voters — don’t vote on a single issue, vote on all of those other values that are important to you," she said.

Former television anchor Liz Mathis is facing off against Golding for the seat vacated by Swati Dandekar, a Democrat who resigned to accept an appointment by Republican Gov. Terry Branstad to a lucrative post on the Iowa Utilities Board. The election is on Tuesday. 

Golding has yet to outright endorse a ban on same-sex-marriage — as of yet she has only stated that she wishes to allow the topic to be debated and voted on as a way to end time and energy spent on the debate, but she is widely seen as the vote Republicans are missing in the Senate to bring the issue to a statewide referendum.

"Until we allow the citizens of Iowa to vote on this issue and the citizens of Iowa to vote it up or vote it down, it will continue to take all of the political attention and energy off of other issues," she said in a recent debate.

Similarly, much of the rhetoric of the speakers on Monday focused on ending the Democrat's one-seat senate majority. If Golding wins, the GOP would draw to a tie, and could prevent Democrats from blocking hot-button issues, such as same-sex marriage and abortion, from being debated in the Iowa Senate.

"The people of Iowa should have an open debate," Christopher Plante said. "(Cindy Golding) is not going to redefine marriage. She is going to let the people of Iowa speak."

Among the attendees of the event was 47-year-old Melanie Peterson, who brought her 17-year-old son, Andrew, along with her.

"We wanted to support the sanctity of marriage, (and) to get rid of abortion," she said. "I think it would be good for Golding to bring some of these issues to debate."

But beyond the larger state-wide social issues, Peterson said she, like many voters she knows, is deeply concerned about the troubled economy.

"I am also concerned about jobs,” she said. "I have children — I don't want them to have to go out of state to get a job — I want them to be close."

Plante said the National Organization for Marriage was cognizant of the importance of local issues to the special election, noting that Golding's experience as a local businesswoman and farmer means she is a perfect local candidate. He also tried to connect increased federal spending to "family fragmentation." He suggested that same-sex marriage may devalue the significance of traditional marriage, which could lead to more divorces.

The National Organization for Marriage has had it's hand in the District 18 special election beyond this week's bus tour. According to the Iowa Independent, the organization has spent around $30,000 in press releases, robocalls and mailings.