IowaPolitics.com: Election Blog

There were hugs and a few tears in the Kinnick Suite as Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks conceded defeat to her opponent, incumbent Democrat Dave Loebsack.

"You got behind a candidate that you thought was the little engine that could," Miller-Meeks began, "but that little engine got stalled, there were too many hills in the way."

Miller-Meeks told the audience that she was glad that her candidacy did give Loebsack a scare, and will be much closer than her previous challenge attempt.

"Hopefully we made him nervous enough that he'll go back to Washington and represent us better," Miller-Meeks said to applause.

Miller-Meeks mentioned some issues that she hoped Loebsack would support would be the extension of the Bush tax cuts, opposition of cap and trade and health care that is people based rather than organization based.

Afterward, Miller-Meeks told IowaPolitics.com that she does not plan to run again, but she hopes her candidacy will inspire others to challenge Democratic control of the 2nd Congressional District.

"I'm hoping that people won't look at the numbers in the district and just write it off," Miller-Meeks said.

Miller-Meeks said her campaign thought the high youth turnout due to the 21-only bar issue in Iowa City may have negatively affected her chances.

"We were certainly concerned that that would affect turnout against us," she said.

Most of all, though, Miller-Meeks said she hopes her efforts will inspire future women candidates to give it a try to become Iowa's first representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"We won't break that glass ceiling if we don't keep trying," Miller-Meeks said.

A medium-sized crowd still remains in the press box and had some things to cheer about, as new Gov.-elect Terry Branstad began his victory speech.

Labels: 2010_election