Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Iowa Campaign Shows Strength With 99 Rural County Chairs And New, Specific Plan For Rural America

Adel, Iowa – As Senator John Edwards began a three-day tour of Iowa to highlight his detailed new Rural Recovery Act, the campaign demonstrated its growing strength in Iowa with the announcement of Rural County Chairs for all 99 Iowa counties.

The Edwards campaign becomes the first—and only—2008 campaign in either party to recruit rural chairs for every county in the state, reflecting Edwards' broad support among Iowans. The coordinators will advise the campaign on issues of concern to rural families and help spread the word to their neighbors throughout the state about Edwards' detailed, specific plans for their communities. Edwards surprise second place finish in 2004 was due in part to his success in rural Iowa.

"Rural America has been ignored for too long," said Edwards. "Across America, too many small towns have turned into ghost towns. We need to help small towns and rural communities create and keep new businesses and good jobs, and we need a president who will make sure all our communities have good schools, good health care and the support systems they need. As president, I will make sure rural America is never left behind."

"Senator Edwards' comprehensive and detailed plan for rural America has earned him a strong base of support throughout rural Iowa," said Doug Bishop, County Treasurer and Rural County Chair for Jasper County. "He understands the unique challenges we face and is committed to building a thriving economy in every corner of our state. My fellow rural county chairs and I will do all we can to spread this message and help him achieve bold, transformational change for rural America."

Edwards' Rural Recovery Act would restore economic fairness and create new jobs and businesses in rural America, help struggling counties and towns and protect rural people and their way of life. A summary of the initiative is attached.

Edwards is discussing the initiative with Iowans in visits to Adel, Boone, Des Moines, Indianola, Muscatine, Mason City, Waterloo and Fort Dodge. This is Edwards' 22nd trip to Iowa since the beginning of 2005.

Edwards' 99 Rural County Chairs are:

• Larry Lemon, Orient, Adair County
• Jessie Krauth, Corning, Adams County
• John Smola, Monona, Allamakee County
• Barbara Kauzlarich, Mystic, Appanoose County
• James Lynam, Exira, Audubon County
• Betty Ann Butz, Norway, Benton County
• Judith Brandenburg, Evansdale, Black Hawk County
• William Judge, Ames, Boone County
• Walt Ebert, Plainfield, Bremer County
• Merle Wilson, Jesup, Buchanan County
• Charlotte Sundberg, Alta, Buena Vista County
• Susan Baker, Parkersburg, Butler County
• Merle Chamberlain, Lake City, Calhoun County
• Connie Bock, Glidden, Carroll County
• Fred Vorrath, Atlantic, Cass County
• Don Place, Durant, Cedar County
• Roger Hunt, Nora Springs, Cerro Gordo County
• Judy Buss, Cherokee, Cherokee County
• Gerald Johnson, New Hampton, Chickasaw County
• Darlene Handrock, Osceola, Clarke County
• Lorraine Pullen, Spencer, Clay County
• Jay Kleaveland, Elkader, Clayton County
• Jim Ralston, Delmar, Clinton County
• Pat Healy, Vail, Crawford County
• Brenda Peshel, Adel, Dallas County
• Carl Boas, Bloomfield, Davis County
• Marie McBroom, Decatur, Decatur County
• Terry Ryan, Coggon, Delaware County
• Elizabeth & Keith Renner, Danville, Des Moines County
• Ford Wright, Arnolds Park, Dickinson County
• Garry Pape, Durango, Dubuque County
• Dale Green, Estherville, Emmet County
• Gayle Tellin, Westgate, Fayette County
• Loyd Johnson, Nashua, Floyd County
• Bruce Dohrmann, Latimer, Franklin County
• Joyce Morgan, Hamburg, Fremont County
• Linda McWilliam, Paton, Greene County
• Anabel Speicher, Conrad, Grundy County
• Loa Benton, Guthrie Center, Guthrie County
• Rebecca Cole, Jewell, Hamilton County
• Curtis Eliason, Kanawha, Hancock County
• Susan Seedorff-Keninger, Ackley, Hardin County
• Maxine Lesline, Logan, Harrison County
• Rich McCabe, Mount Union, Henry County
• Clement Donlan, Lime Springs, Howard County
• Joleen Johnson, Humboldt, Humboldt County
• Jean Neal, Arthur, Ida County
• Janice Bringmann, Victor, Iowa County
• Jane Dubert, Maquoketa, Jackson County
• Doug Bishop, Baxter, Jasper County
• Norma Emerson, Fairfield, Jefferson County
• Paul Deaton, Solon, Johnson County
• Victoria & Kyle Tapken, Anamosa, Jones County
• Betty Adams, What Cheer, Keokuk County
• Thomas McCleish, Bancroft, Kossuth County
• Dolores Genck, Donnellson, Lee County
• Cindy & Patrick Nulty, Ely, Linn County
• Benita Grooms, Oakville, Louisa County
• Betty Snakenberg, Chariton, Lucas County
• Gloria Nitzschke, Rock Rapids, Lyon County
• Robert Bell, St. Charles, Madison County
• Charlotte Moore, Eddyville, Mahaska County
• Tammy Marsh, Pleasantville, Marion County
• Nina Biensen, State Center, Marshall County
• Carol Crawford, Glenwood, Mills County
• Dawn Lackore, Osage, Mitchell County
• Edna Angove, Onawa, Monona County
• Leland Carmichael, Villisca, Montgomery County
• Dennis Ryan, Melrose, Monroe County
• Charlene Dusenberry, Muscatine, Muscatine County
• Donna Dawson, Paullina, O'Brien County
• Ruth Krull, Sibley, Osceola County
• Betty Maley, Clarinda, Page County
• Bruce Osborn, Cylinder, Palo Alto County
• Ken Giffin, Akron, Plymouth County
• Audrey Simonson, Rolfe, Pocahontas County
• Mary Clark, Carlisle, Polk County
• Fred Howard, Underwood, Pottawattamie County
• Rita Ferneau, Malcom, Poweshiek County
• Katherine Werner, Lamoni, Ringgold County
• John Getzmier, Schaller, Sac County
• Wayne Sapp, Walcott, Scott County
• Paul Jensen, Harlan, Shelby County
• Virginia Sederstrom, Hawarden, Sioux County
• Kermit Miskell, Story City, Story County
• Maralyn Hotchkiss, Toledo, Tama County
• Betty Adams, Bedford, Taylor County
• Robert Culbertson, Afton, Union County
• James Davis, Keosauqua, Van Buren County
• Joan Hunt, Blakesburg, Wapello County
• Alnice Nichols, Ackworth, Warren County
• Donna Leyden, Riverside, Washington County
• Steven Ruble, Corydon, Wayne County
• Philip Cooney, Duncombe, Webster County
• Kevin Thorsheim, Forest City, Winnebago County
• Doyle Gorden, Castalia, Winneshiek County
• Nancy Felts, Pierson, Woodbury County
• Tim O'Keefe, Manly, Worth County
• Coleen Johnson, Belmond, Wright County