• Article Photo. David Urlaub, right is one of the paid staff members for Brad Zaun's congressional campaign.
    David Urlaub, right is one of the paid staff members for Brad Zaun's congressional campaign.
  • Article Photo. Zaun spoke to a mostly Republican crowd of nearly 50 people Monday evening in Vinton.
    Zaun spoke to a mostly Republican crowd of nearly 50 people Monday evening in Vinton.

David Urlaub’s first job as a college graduate will last just a few months, but it could impact his career opportunities and choices for years to come.

Urlaub, a 2006 graduate of Vinton-Shellsburg High School and the son of Mark and LuAnn Urlaub of Vinton, is one of the few full-time paid staff members on the Brad Zaun for Congress campaign.

Urlaub’s job brought him back to Vinton Monday evening, when Zaun met with more than 40 voters at the U.S. Bank Community Room.

Zaun served as mayor of Urbandale and in the Iowa State Senate before deciding to challenge Democrat Leonard Boswell. He won a seven-way primary in June.

For the past five weeks, Urlaub has worked to recruit volunteers, helped to set up community meetings and done a variety of other tasks for Zahn. His job formally ends in November, but there is a chance that if Zaun wins, it could mean another job offer for Urlaub.

But for now, though, Urlaub is only concerned about this job and the immediate future.

“I wouldn’t do this job if I didn’t think Brad Zaun was a great guy,” Urlaub said as Zaun shook hands with local residents and Republican leaders before leaving for his next campaign rally.

Zaun appreciates the enthusiasm that Urlaub brings to the campaign.

“He’s incredible,” said Zaun, adding that Urlaub does “a little bit of everything for the campaign.”

Urlaub's parents are pleased with his first job.
"David has had a great experience with Brad Zaun's campaign," said David's father, Mark.  "David identified him in the primary season as the candidate of his choice, and after Brad won the primary David said he would like to work for his campaign."  
Zaun did indeed have a place for David Urlaub in his campaign.
"He is in a role that gives him a lot of time with the candidate as well as opportunities to meet many other notable people in politics and private citizens," said Mark Urlaub. "Not knowing Brad, we hoped things would go well for David in this job.  Politics can be ugly.  But Brad has demonstrated genuine concern for his young staff members and their well being as individuals not just for what they can do to help him.  They all seem to be persons of good character and are just plain nice.  This impresses us and indicates to us Brad is a decent man.  He has refused to go negative in the way candidates often do."
Mark Urlaub said that although he and his wife, LuAnn, have always had interest in good government and the political process and have occasionally gotten politically involved in minor ways, David's work in this campaign has caused them to pay special attention to this one. 
"The more we have gotten to know Brad Zaun, the more we have wanted to support him.  We think he will be an engaged, concerned, and responsive congressman," said Mark Urlaub.
The Urlaubs co-hosted Zaun's event in Vinton Monday evening.

2010 Congressional race: Eighth election for Zaun

Zaun told the mostly Republican audience that he has run in and won seven political campaigns, and plans to make it eight in a row. He said his priorities in Congress will include reining in federal spending and strengthening Social Security. He also plans to do what he can to limit or reverse the Obama health care bill. Zaun said he has heard from many business owners who feel negatively affected by that legislation, as well as hospital leaders who are trying to decide how to handle the cuts in Medicare reimbursements that Zaun said the bill authorizes.

Zaun said that as a small business owner – he said he had every man’s dream of owning a hardware store for 17 years – he experienced first-hand the negative effects of excessive taxes and regulations. He said his first tasks as mayor of Urbandale was to reduce the city’s ordinance book to simplify the rules for businesses. He said the effort paid off – Urbandale was voted the 39th best city for business while he was Mayor, he said.

In addition to criticizing Rep. Boswell for his support of Obama’s health care plan and spending programs, Zaun criticized Boswell for not spending more time in Iowa.

He told the Vinton audience that after being elected, he would put a fold-out couch in his office and sleep there so he could spend more time in Iowa, instead of Washington.

Zaun told the audience that he once led Boswell in polls by 12 percent, but the race is now tied because of negative ads about Zaun that have aired, mostly in the Des Moines area.

A young woman in the back with a small video camera was recording the speech for the Boswell campaign. Zaun said the Boswell campaign follows him to his speeches, hoping he will say something they can use in their campaign ads. At one point, he said “Hello” to Boswell as he looked at that camera.