Sam Clovis, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Senate, sat down for a round-table discussion with the University of Iowa College of Republicans to discuss their views on current issues earlier this week.
The candidate spoke with students about why he stands out from other candidates. He is one of six candidates running for the Republican nomination.
“I never had any intention to run for office ever,” Clovis said. “I think a lot of people are running for the wrong reasons, and the thought of sending someone to Washington to assuage their own ego is not effective.”
Even though Clovis said he never thought he would run for Senate, when he saw current candidates running, he stepped in.
“I don’t think the Republican Party has a clear message, and I can articulate the conservative message and principles of ideology,” Clovis said. “… They are looking for someone they can believe in, and I will always tell you the truth.”
Clovis said the government should have a limited role in the economy of a nation, but it is still responsible for a few necessary actions, such as removing economic uncertainty of every American.
“The government has almost added to the economic uncertainty of Americans today,” Clovis said. “The role of the government is to decrease the uncertainty in the people.”
He said in order to remove that uncertainty, the national government should restrict itself to only a few actions in a free-market system. He said the government needs to reserve a sound financial system, and Congress needs to examine and eliminate a portion of grants and subsidies that make up unnecessary and damaging market interference.
During the discussion, Clovis touched on other issues, such as legalization of marijuana, how the federal and state power should be distributed and same-sex marriage.
Quentin Marquez, the head of the UI College of Republicans, said visits like these are very beneficial for college students.
“I think it’s especially good for Republicans to come talk to college students,” Marquez said. “It seems the youth vote has been swaying in the other direction and this is a great opportunity for college students to hear his conservative principles.”
Carter Bell, the president of UI Democrats, said it’s important for candidates to have an open dialogue with voters.
“I believe it’s important for these candidates to talk to students to raise awareness about these elections,” Bell said. “Many students do not vote in non-presidential years and do not fully realize the full impact these midterm elections have. These events also allow student voices to be heard and our ideas and concerns recognized.”
One particular issue that was brought up among Clovis and a few students was if same-sex couples should receive the same benefits under the federal government as heterosexual couples. Marquez said many members of the UI College of Republicans have an array of opinions on this issue and said it brings an opportunity for more ideas.
“He said he had two campaign promises, to fight for hard working Americans, and he would always tell the truth,” Marquez said. “Even though things were getting heated, everyone can respect him for not hiding behind the situation.”
Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, said some of Clovis’ views are too conservative to represent Iowa citizens.
“I think he has an extreme right-wing agenda” Jacoby said. “I don’t think he represents Iowans at the cross section. Part of the national job is to be as good of a listener as well as a talker, and I think he needs to work on listening.”