Santorum campaigns for Schultz

COUNCIL BLUFFS — While the Iowa gubernatorial race might get the most attention in the state, it's other races — like attorney general or secretary of state — that will get noticed in Washington, former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum said.

“Those will send a strong signal back to Washington and even get the attention of Barack Obama,” Santorum said during a Council Bluffs visit Monday.

In gubernatorial elections, he said, voters tend to make a choice based on how they feel about the candidates themselves and the issues they represent. But the races for offices like secretary of state and attorney general often come down to how voters feel about the two political parties, Santorum said.

“It's more of a generic vote,” he said. “It's how you feel about the two parties in these races.”

Considering Iowa will again be the first presidential test in 2012, Washington won't strain to hear the results, according to Santorum. “What happens here will speak loudly in Washington.”

Santorum was at Quaker Steak and Lube to drum up support for Councilman Matt Schultz, the Republican candidate for secretary of state.

“He's a good, strong, young conservative,” he said of Schultz. “I see a lot that speaks well of Matt.”

Schultz, who is running against Democratic incumbent Michael Mauro, wants voters to show a photo ID when going to the polls to reduce fraud.

“You don't have to prove anything, there's no accountability,” Schultz said of the current system. “We need accountability, and a photo ID is the first level of that accountability.”

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