Historic Quote: “I don’t care what kind of car I drive. Cadillacs are for Republicans.” Iowa Governor Herschel Loveless (D), saying he would not accept additional funds the Legislature wanted to allocate for him to buy a nicer state car.
Until the 1950?s, Iowa was a virtual one-party state. A Democratic Governor had only been elected three times since the Civil War and while, it was not uncommon for the state to fall into the Democratic column in Presidential elections, its predominant winners statewide were Republican. Herschel Loveless had more success statewide than nationally, but he set the winds in motion for a future Democratic revival on both ends. And his recipe for doing so was impressive. He united rural and urban folks, and built the Democratic Party in the “Hawkeye State,” paving the way for future statewide winners Hughes, Clark, Culver, and eventually, Harkin.
Loveless was a product of rural Iowa. He was born in Fremont but attended Ottumwa High School, graduating at age 16. The Depression sent him all over the Midwest but he returned to Ottumwa and worked at a meatpacking plant. As city manager of Ottomwa, he learned valuable lessons of dealing with Iowa’s floods when the flooding of the Des Moines River occurred.
Loveless had been elected Mayor of Ottomwa in somewhat of a power struggle between Local 1 (the unions) and a “Good Government Association” group. Labor backed Loveless, while the latter group went for another faction. Both of his running mates were defeated. Loveless presided over the fight for a city manager form of government, which he opposed, not wanting to give bureaucrats too much power.
As Mayor of Ottumwa, Loveless presided over the street and development system, as well as putting in place a sewer wall to deal with the Des Moines River. But he also gained significant exposure to state problems by chairing the First Class Cities Division of the Iowa Section of the League of Municipalities.
Loveless first sought the Governorship at 41 and finished with a healthy 48% to William Beardsley.
By 1956, he was back and facing incumbent Leo Hough. Agriculture Secretary Ezra Taft Benson had put into place farm policies that were deeply unpopular, and Loveless galvanized both urban and rural voters. Many of those same folks were also unhappy with Beardsley’s hike in the state sales tax and Loveless campaigned on a “hold the line” platform, stating “Iowa is one of the four highest taxed states in the United States.” He pointed out that residents lose almost one in ten of their dollars to taxes. He would edge Hough 51-49%, a margin of 29,000 votes. Asked about his win, he told U.S News and World Report “folks in Iowa are thinking now in terms of a two-party system and number two, they were much disturbed about recent state tax increases and their potential threat of possible additional tax increases.” He credited his whopping showing in urban areas to the fact that “the folks there are better acquainted with me.”
Loveless as a new Governor, 1957 (Ebay photo)
Loveless would move to repeal that tax in his first term. Yet as the “Biographical Dictionary of Iowa” notes, he was also concerned with “imbalance” within rural and urban Iowa and he wanted to change that.
The Dictionary said Loveless earned a reputation as a tireless worker who combined fiscal responsibility with leadership on issues such as flood control, mental health, and social services.” Beyond that, he brought much of Ottumwa to Des Moines, at least agenda wise. He would continue his championship of flood control and dam projects. Mental health as well as workman’s comp and minimum wage comp were raised and a teacher’s pension was authorized. Loveless proved enormously popular with the voters and won re-election in 1958 with 54%, carrying 63 of the state’s 99 counties.
Loveless further proved himself a man of the people when the Legislature voted to allocate money for him to buy a bigger car. At that time, the budget for an Iowa Governor’s car was not to exceed $2,000, and Loveless was content using his predecessors Oldsmobile, which was purchased at exactly one penny below. He said the new car he was in the process of buying would be the same as the state patrol (a Ford, a Chevrolet, or a Plymouth).
Loveless gained national attention when Nikita Khruschev visited the United States. The plan was for him to visit an Iowa farm but Loveless argued against it, saying he was “sure the people of Iowa will be courteous…but it might be a precarious venture because of security and a hazard to Khruschev, especially in the areas of heavy immigrant population.” Khruschev would make the visit, but Loveless would call out the Iowa National Guard for Khruschev’s protection.
Lovelesss and his wife at a military ball (Ameshistoricalsociety.org)
Loveless had been a “Favorite Son” candidate for president, which gave him control over the state’s 28 delegates. He was prepared to release them to Kennedy, and at one point was told that it could get him the vice-presidency. But he learned that his fellow Democrat to the north, Orville Freeman, was receiving similar assurances. It was Ted Kennedy who said “they would rather be mentioned and passed over than to not be mentioned at all.” He already was having a high profile role at the Democratic convention by chairing the Rules Committee and was going full thread with a Senate bid, in which that summer, he was a huge favorite over tax attorney. When he confronted Jack Kennedy, he replied, “It has to be a Midwesterner, Herschel. Just remember, Orv (Freeman of Minnesota) is younger than you.”
Obviously, Loveless like many others were left disappointed when it came to the number two slot but he’d become Kennedy’s principal farm advisor and tried to rally the agriculture community by promising to restore high price supports.
State Senator Jack Miller received the nomination to challenge Loveless and even Republicans said he was “anxious to commit political suicide.” Labor was firmly for Loveless and the farm crisis had still not eroded. But Loveless’s ability to mold Iowa into a two party state at the local level could only go so far, as Iowa’s proclivity was to send Republicans to Washington. Jack Miller. An AP rundown of the races said “Miller’s bet hope is for a massive Nixon majority and a free ride on his coattails.” But they also noted that Miller “is Catholic, which is no asset in heavily Protestant Iowa.” But Miller attacked his appointments and challenged him to debates. He also questioned whether, if elected, Loveless would abandon the Senate to become Secretary of Agriculture (which must have left Nixon wondering whether Miller was questioning his electability).
Loveless with Kennedy and Abe Ribicoff (Getty Images)
On Election Day, the former worked in his favor while the latter did not. As Nixon was winning Iowa, Miller upset Loveless by 47,000 votes. He conceded when trailing by just 4,000.
Loveless would gain an appointment from the Kennedy administration, but not Secretary of Agriculture. He was named to Federal Renegotiation Board, which deals with military contracts. He would retire to Virginia where he would die in 1989, one day shy of his 78th birthday.