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meanwhile, wealthy former energy executive Mark Jacobs has set up an education-focused nonprofit dubbed Reaching Higher Iowa. The group launched early this year and registered as a nonprofit entity with the Iowa secretary of state’s office, according to Jacobs. Last month, it mailed out a lengthy brochure about RHI’s education agenda that also featured three photos of Jacobs and a bio describing him as a “complex problem-solver” with a “long track record of leadership in civic and social issues.”
Jacobs is also actively exploring a campaign for the Republican nomination for Iowa’s open Senate seat and has spent weeks introducing himself to GOP leaders and showing up at local party events.
The potential candidates and their advisers play down the extent to which these nonprofits are explicitly intended to lay the groundwork for Senate races: Jacobs points out that he founded RHI before Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin announced his retirement and created an open-seat race. Tillis advisers say the legislative nonprofit is more than a vehicle for the speaker, and that other Republicans will take over its leadership now that he’s running for Senate.
At the same time, Republicans involved in both efforts don’t deny there’s some political advantage to the outside-group activities.
“Is there some benefit because, you know, I’ve been engaged directly in this and more people know me in the state than would have known me six months ago? Sure, I’m sure that’s the case,” Jacobs said. “But I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing on education, in terms of trying to raise public awareness on it, because I think that’s an important component of tackling the problem.”
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