Nussle returns to seat in House
By MADHUSMITA BORA
Courier Staff Writer
WATERLOO
Incumbent Jim Nussle won the race for the 2nd District seat in the U.S. House race for the sixth consecutive time, defeating Dubuque Democrat Donna Smith 55-44 percent with 100 percent of the vote counted.
"I am very proud that I have been elected again," Nussle said. "The turnout in the Black Hawk County was very good. We have never done this well in the county in a presidential year. There must have been quite a few Democrats who crossed over and voted for me."
The 2nd District includes most of Northeast Iowa extending from the Mississippi River nearly to Interstate 35
through the center of the state. It includes 21 counties, and Nussle claimed victory in all 21 for the first time.
He topped Smith in Black Hawk County by 50.2 percent to 48.6 percent – a margin of about 900 votes out of more than 53,000 cast.
Now that he has been re-elected, Nussle said his first task will be to help pass the pending congressional budget.
When asked what swung the votes to Nussle, Smith said money was a major factor. The Roll Call Report Syndicate's Campaign Finance Report from Jan. 1, 1999, to Oct. 18 2000, shows Nussle received $757,394 in campaign contributions and spent $658,203. Smith received $56,102 and spent $19,895 in that time period.
"It was his million dollars to my $70,000," Smith said.
Nussle refuted her allegations, and said she is going to make a lot of excuses now that she has been defeated.
"She indulged in a lot of personal and negative campaigning," Nussle said "The fact that I won Dubuque County, which is a strong Democratic area, shows that people rejected her negative campaigning."
Smith said she will continue to serve as supervisor, the position she has held for the past 21 years, and will work for issues important to the people of her congressional district.
She believes she carried out a very positive campaign.
"Not too many campaigns addressed issues like the Freedom to Farm Bill, pay equity for women or ending federal funds to big hog industries," Smith said, "Now that Nussle has won, he better work for issues that hurt people in the district and stop representing the big special interest groups, which he has been doing the last 10 years."
Smith promised to come back again and this time more prepared. This is the second time the two have faced each other. Nussle defeated her in a closer race in 1996. In 1998, Nussle defeated current state Democratic Party Chairman Rob Tully.
