Former State Representative George Eichhorn has announced, according to a story in the Des Moines Register, that he will be running to be the Republican nominee to take on Democrat Tom Harkin. Eichhorn joins Cedar Rapids businessmen Steve Rathje and Christopher Reed in their quest to be the GOP standard bearer against Harkin. Eichhorn starts the race, like Reed and Rathje, as relative unknowns statewide. Undoubtedly, Rathje and Reed are better known where their natural bases are: Eastern Iowa. Eichhorn, who is from Central Iowa, will have higher name identification there. Eichhorn lost his 2006 re-election bid to liberal freshman State Representative McKinley Bailey.

Labels: Tom_Harkin