To: Interested Parties
From: Tyler Law, Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 7, 2016
RE: The Case Against David Young
Tonight’s Iowa primary results mark the beginning of the general election race for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Iowa National Guard veteran and former Pentagon official Jim Mowrer begins the general election poised to take advantage of a weak David Young and a very favorable political environment. Mowrer has proven that he has what it takes to outraise Young, build a formidable grassroots organization, and effectively lead Iowa’s 3rd District. Bottom line: the choice for voters in November will be very stark.
David Young is a lifelong DC insider who went to Congress to further his political career and do the bidding of party bosses and special interests. In an outsider’s year, David Young starts the general election with a terrible candidate profile and no record of achievement to draw upon.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report: Toss-Up
The Cook Political Report: Toss Up
“…for Iowans, the question is no longer whether Young can get re-elected; it’s whether he deserves to be re-elected.” – Des Moines Register Editorial [5/24/16]
“Young, a freshman, remains somewhat undefined after winning the GOP nomination in a fractured 2014 convention and is exactly the type of Republican could get dragged down by a Donald Trump loss. After all, this Des Moines district voted narrowly for President Obama narrowly in both 2008 and 2012, and Trump fared poorly in the caucuses here.” – The Cook Political Report [4/1/16]
“Perhaps because of his background, Mowrer also is better able to articulate his agenda — not only in the broad brushstrokes that lend themselves to campaign brochures, but in the sort of detail that lends itself to legislating. That makes him a strong contender to unseat the first-term Republican congressman David Young.” – Des Moines Register Editorial [6/2/2016]
DAVID YOUNG: CAREER DC INSIDER
Lifelong DC Insider Turned Accidental Congressman
Accidental Congressman David Young was a DC based Congressional staffer from 1993 to 2013. He did not return to or own property in Iowa until 2013 when he decided to run for the U.S. Senate. He soon dropped out of that race and finished an embarrassing 5th place in the Republican House Primary. After going through multiple rounds of balloting at the convention, Young stumbled into the nomination.
Banking Taxpayer Cash & Enjoying Perks
Young has been paid at least $1,828,827 during his time as a Republican Party staffer and has a big taxpayer funded pension waiting for him upon retirement. In 2010, the Des Moines Register reported that Young was the top paid Iowa congressional staffer. Most offensively, Young was exposed last cycle for taking advantage of a legal loophole that allowed him to line his pockets with more campaign cash than was normally permissible while simultaneously getting paid his $169,000 taxpayer funded salary. Young also took advantage of the perks afforded to a Washington insider, taking trips all over the world that were paid for by special interests. It’s very unlikely that hardworking Iowa families are going to look kindly upon Young’s life of living high off the government hog.
Owned By The Party Bosses
Young already faces an ethics complaint for signing away his legislative agenda to national Republicans. While Young’s mouthpiece desperately tried to control the fallout from this revelation, Young never denied signing the controversial document – a fact that is certain to come up in the general election. Further proving his lack of independence, Young was recently caught being strong-armed by Republican Party leadership on a key amendment to prevent discrimination. Three separate Des Moines networks aired footage showing that he was the deciding vote even after he refused to admit his role in the vote switching scandal. Appropriately, the Des Moines Register editorial board questioned whether or not he deserves to be reelected.
Too Extreme
There’s no question that Young is far outside of the mainstream of this district:
- Voted to slash Social Security and supported partially turning Medicare into a voucher program.
- Voted repeatedly to defund Planned Parenthood even though it provides lifesaving care to thousands of woman and families in the 3rd District.
- Attempted to derail the commonsense, bipartisan Highway Bill.
- Member of the extremely conservative Republican Study Committee that approved a laundry list of draconian recommendations for Congress.
- Said he was unsure whether or not women should be imprisoned for obtaining an abortion and said that he had not thought enough to decide if rape survivors should be allowed to obtain an abortion.
- And much, much more…
Trump Train
David Young is supporting Trump – and therefore his statements and positions – a fact from which he can’t run and for which voters will hold him accountable in November .
JIM MOWRER: IOWAN. VETERAN. FAMILY MAN.
Jim Mowrer is a combat veteran, former Pentagon official, and committed family man.
In case you missed it, here are Jim’s ads from the primary that tell a powerful story: What’s it Going to Take, I Get It, and News. Read more about Jim’s story here.