Iowa Republicans concerned about vote to delay state convention

{mosads}Iowa’s state Republican Party committee voted this weekend to move the party convention from mid-June to mid-July. Insiders are worried that could hurt the party’s eventual Senate nominee by limiting his or her time to fundraise and mobilize supporters ahead of the general election.

Democrats have rallied around Rep. Bruce Braley as their pick to replace retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and he’s building a large war chest as a crowded GOP field of candidates fights for resources.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) tells the Des Moines Register the move is “a real mistake” and calls on the state committee to reconsider the move, while Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) tells the paper he agrees with the governor. Three of the four GOP Senate candidates in the race concurred.

The move is unlikely to matter: If one of the candidates can win 35 percent in the early June primary, they’ll be the nominee. But if no candidate hits that mark the nominee will be chosen in the state party convention, a prospect that is worrying many establishment Republicans in the state.