Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum might be out of the race, but he's not out of the game of politics.
Santorum, the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, made a stop at Pizza Ranch in Marshalltown Wednesday in support of Republican congressional candidate Ben Lange.
"I'm just doing my best to try and help the team," Santorum said.
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T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW POTTER
Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum spoke to a crowd at the Pizza Ranch in Marshalltown Wednesday in support of congressional candidate Ben Lange.
Santorum had a successful Iowa Caucus run, and Lange said he wants that same type of success in his campaign against incumbent Democrat Bruce Braley.
"We certainly welcome (the endorsement)," Lange, an attorney from Independence, said. "In his campaign he showed going out city to city can work."
Santorum referred to Braley several times as "Nancy Pelosi's fair-haired boy," and he said the congressman from Waterloo represents what is wrong in Washington, D.C. He said not re-electing Braley would be a gift to the country from Iowans in the first congressional district. Throw in the fact that Iowa is a swing state in the presidential election, and Santorum recognizes the importance of this state this fall.
"You have the opportunity in the state of Iowa to have a huge, profound impact in November," Santorum said.
Santorum said he has great memories of campaigning in Iowa and meeting the people of the state.
"It would take a day just to talk about all the wonderful experiences I had," he said.
Lange spoke to the crowd of about 75 and focused his concern on the $16 trillion national debt, and he said Braley takes some blame for out-of-control spending.
"That's what these suits in Washington, D.C. have done to the next generation," Lange said of the debt.
Area voters can expect to see more of Lange leading up to his rematch with Braley. In 2010, Lange lost to Braley by 1.9 percent of the vote.
"We are non-stop from here on out until November," Lange said.
Three other local Republican candidates spoke at the event including Allen Burt, Dean Fisher and Jane Jech.