Ron Paul Picks Up Key Iowa Endorsements

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s determined effort to be taken seriously as a presidential candidate in 2012 received a major boost on Monday when he picked up the endorsement of Cory Adams, chairman of Iowa’s Story County Republican Party.

“Only Ron Paul articulates and demonstrates a clear devotion to constitutionally limited government,” said Adams in endorsing the Texas congressman at a meet-and-greet at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ames, Iowa, on Monday.

“Out of all the candidates in this cycle, I found Ron Paul to be the one with the longest, most consistent voting record to back up those principles and concepts,” said Adams.

The endorsement is considered a major coup by the Paul campaign since Ames — home to some 50,000 people and site of the state’s widely-watched presidential straw poll on August 13 — is located in Story County.

The 75-year-old Paul, who’s waging his third bid for the presidency, is also being supported by former GOP Story County chairman A. J. Spiker, a realtor who’s in charge of overseeing Paul’s organizational effort in Iowa.

On Monday, the Texas congressman also received the support of State Rep. Jason M. Schultz, a two-term lawmaker from Schleswig, Crawford County, in western Iowa.

Paul, who garnered 9.1% while finishing a distant fifth in the 2007 Ames Straw Poll, welcomed the Adams and Schultz endorsements and said that their support is proof that his candidacy is being taken more seriously than in 2008.  “There’s more enthusiasm with the people that are true believers,” said Paul.  “And like I said…Ames lends itself to that.  I wish I could say that I am the frontrunner and nobody is ahead of me and it’s a shoe-in.  But the truth is, we can do it and will do very, very well and hopefully come in first.”