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Iowa women make up one-third of a newly announced committee within the John Edwards for President campaign.

“I am pleased to announce today our campaign’s Statewide Steering Committee,” Edwards said in a prepared statement. “They are a widely respected group of leaders from law enforcement to labor to education. They include elected officials, party activists, community leaders and others who share my commitment to real change and are ready to go to work to make it happen.”

The list, touted by the campaign as reflecting the "diversity and depth" of their organizational support in Iowa, contains the names of 74 Democratic party officials and activists -- 24 of them women. Looking down the list, however, newly aligned supporters are a rarity. That being said, the Edwards campaign is hardly the first to recycle supporter names from previous announcements, endorsements and committee formations. And, disregarding lists solely comprised of women activists and supporters, the Edwards campaign has presented a committee with one of the highest female percentages thus far.

“Iowa, and America, needs a president who will stand up for everyone -- not just multinational corporations and special interests,” said State Rep. Geri Huser, D-Des Moines. “John Edwards has outlined a bold vision to bring opportunity to all Americans. He is also the strongest candidate our party can nominate to take on the Republicans in 2008.”

Women serving on the committee are:

• Rep. Geri Huser
• Roxanne Conlin, civil rights attorney and former gubernatorial nominee, Des Moines
• Carole Curry, Democratic leader, Marengo
• Peggy Smalley, Audobon County Treasurer and State Central Committee member, Audobon
• Georgia Robertson, Boone County Democratic Party Central Committee Chairwoman, Boone
• Diane Curry, Buchanan County Recorder, Independence
• Kristie Rysdam, Davis County Democratic Party Vice Chairwoman, Drakesville
• Susie Baker, union activist and AFSMCE member, Parkersburg
• Aletia Morgan, director of Iowa City Community Schools, Iowa City
• Creta Teut, Democratic leader, Ute
• Laura Foell, former Sac County Supervisor, Schaller
• Ann Hutchinson, former Mayor of Bettendorf, Bettendorf
• Connie Smith, retired teacher, Sioux City
• Pam Wilson, mental health advocate and 2007 “100 Great Iowa Nurses Honoree,” Council Bluffs
• Jody Ewing, State Central Committee member, Onawa
• Denise O’Brien, Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame inductee and 2006 Democratic nominee for Secretary of Agriculture, Atlantic
• Anne Travis, ISEA Executive Board Member, Sidney
• Paula Logan, ISEA Treasurer, Burlington
• Diane Weldin, Mayor of Hampton, Hampton
• Joy Lowe, Democratic leader, Waterloo
• Tammy Duehr, president of Dubuque Education Association, Dubuque
• Celia Rangel, immediate past president of Quad City Mexican American Federation, Davenport
• Lena Robinson, president of Latinos Unidos of Iowa, Des Moines
• Denise Hocraffer, Wright County Democratic Party Central Committee Chairwoman, Clarion

Des Moines attorney Rob Tully will serve as chairman for the committee. Tully has previously served as chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party.