It’s time to stop attacking candidates for losing a previous race. It’s just silly and ignores history. The partisan and glib attacks aren’t predictive of anything and ignore dozens of examples of candidates who lost before winning.
The latest example is in Iowa, where former Rep. Abby Finkenauer announced her campaign for Senate. The Democrat lost reelection in 2020, and Republicans are more than willing to remind all of us.
“Let me be as clear as possible — Abby Finkenauer will never represent the state of Iowa in the U.S. Senate. Iowans know Finkenauer and her disastrous record, it’s why they rejected her last November,” read a news release from the state GOP chairman. “I look forward to seeing even more Iowans reject Finkenauer once again.”
Of all the politicos in the country, Iowa Republicans should be aware that losing does not prohibit future victories. They have a loser-turned-winner in their own ranks. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was rejected by 2nd District voters three times (2008, 2010 and 2014) before winning a close race last fall.
The Iowa GOP also did not think a previous loss was disqualifying when the party nominated former Rep. David Young for an unsuccessful rematch in November against Democrat Cindy Axne, who had ousted Young in 2018.
Of all the politicos in the country, Iowa Republicans should be aware that losing does not prohibit future victories. They have a loser-turned-winner in their own ranks. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was rejected by 2nd District voters three times (2008, 2010 and 2014) before winning a close race last fall.
The Iowa GOP also did not think a previous loss was disqualifying when the party nominated former Rep. David Young for an unsuccessful rematch in November against Democrat Cindy...