Shootin’ the breeze

A little rain wasn’t going to stop U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, from trapshooting Saturday morning at the Jasper County Gun Club. Within minutes, the senator’s camo-style Trump 2020 hat was pelted with heavy raindrops, and a large pile of spent shells had accumulated at her feet.

Surrounded by her fellow Republicans, many of whom were also trying their luck pulverizing clay pigeons with a 12 gauge, Ernst sported a smile after every successful hit on the shooting range, sparking memories of herself and her sister taking turns aiming at moving saucers with their dad’s shotgun.

Before and after her shooting round, Iowa’s first woman to represent Iowa in Congress spoke freely with local GOP activists and representatives gathering for the sixth annual Jasper County Republican Trap Shoot, a fundraiser that continues to grow in popularity with conservative candidates.

Unable to remember if she had been a guest in the past, Ernst said it was certainly her first time shooting at the longstanding gun club. The senator said it is important for GOP legislators to recognize there are numerous Republicans in Iowa’s 99 counties who still want to support their candidates and lawmakers.

Ernst added, “They’re excited, they’re revved up and they want to say, ‘Even though we have all these Democratic presidential candidates coming through this state, GOP still matters.’”

Last year, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was a special guest to the trap shoot during her gubernatorial race with Democratic opponent Fred Hubbell; however, the governor was unable to attend this year’s event. In her stead, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig stepped in to rally supporters.

They were joined by Iowa Senators Zach Nunn of Senate District 15 and Amy Sinclair of Senate District 14, as well as Jasper County Supervisors Denny Carpenter, Doug Cupples and Brandon Talsma, and a slew of Republican candidates vying for the Iowa Second Congressional District seat.

Gregg said Saturday was his first time shooting at the Jasper County Gun Club, noting the trap shoot fundraiser is a good event for officials and lawmakers to thank Republican activists for all the work they did this past election cycle and upcoming races.

“It’s also a great opportunity to celebrate the Second Amendment and have some fun out here while we’re doing it … I’ve had a lot of fun and enjoyed myself and am enjoying the great people here today,” Gregg said, adding that he is relatively new to trapshooting and that most political events he has attended have not made the sporting activity the focus of the event.

The Jasper County Republican Party, he added, is a well-organized group. Gregg credited these kinds of groups for securing Reynolds’ seat as governor this past year.

“I think the work that county parties do on the ground is part of the reason why we were able to get over the hump,” Gregg said. “Every door that folks knocked on, every call that they made, every yard sign they placed I believe made a difference. So this is an opportunity to say thank you and spend some time and build even better relationships.”

Zach Nunn, whose district largely encompasses Jasper County and eastern Polk County, was enjoying the day with his son, Canon, who was trying trapshooting for the first time as well. Nunn claimed many of the guests at the trap shoot may not even be Republicans but are, rather, sportspersons or Second Amendment supporters.

“I’m grateful for the Jasper GOP doing this, but I’m also glad because it brings people from a large swath of the county — and even the region — coming in and showing their (skills),” Nunn said. “It’s becoming a real, mandatory stop for folks who want to show that they not only support rural Iowa but that they support the Second Amendment.”

Even through frequent bouts of pouring rain, the trap shoot was well-attended this past weekend. Thad Nearmyer, chair of the Jasper County Republican Party, said the trap shoot is the group’s main fundraising event of the year and is quickly becoming a way for local constituents to meet candidates and legislators on a personal level.

“The candidates and office holders are beginning the know that this is an event that they want to come to,” Nearmyer said. “They know it’s a fun event and they like coming out here and shooting guns. We really appreciate that they are helping to make it a great event.

“We’re getting more general public people that come up and just watch the event and partake in it and meet the candidates.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com