Rita Hart's campaign for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District seat has picked up three-of-a-kind endorsements. Reps. Cindy Axne, Abby Finkenauer and Dave Loebsack — Iowa's entire Democratic congressional delegation — have endorsed Hart's 2020 bid.

“I’m proud to call Senator Hart a colleague and friend after serving together in the Iowa legislature and I know firsthand that Iowa working families can trust that she will stand up for them,” Finkenauer said via news release. “Whether it’s working in a classroom or on her farm, Rita’s proven to be tough enough to stand up to Washington special interests and I know she’ll work tirelessly to be a voice for Iowa families.”

“Rita is the problem solver Iowa families need on their side,” Axne wrote. “In the State Senate, Rita worked with anybody who was willing to make people’s lives better and I know she’ll do the same in Congress.”

These pick-ups add to a pile of endorsements that already include that of Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, State Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party Sue Dvorsky and around 70 others.

"These are people that have paved the way," Hart said. "What they are doing is important to all of us so I have a great deal of respect for them and appreciate the fact that they are on board."

While the endorsement list reaches critical mass, Hart was clear that her campaign is focused on gaining votes, not endorsements.

"In the bigger scheme of things, every voter here in Iowa does a good job of educating themselves," Hart said. "They can make a good determination. ... What matters is being able to get out there enough. Get a read on what is truly making a difference for people."

Already, Hart said three points are manifesting from conversations: better-paying jobs, affordable health care and investments in infrastructure.

"I've spent some time getting a good team together here. Now my task is to go out to as many people as possible to have those conversations and make those connections," Hart said. "We are taking those one step at a time. It's a marathon not a sprint."

Related:How important is the endorsement game in 2020's presidential race?

Tim Hagle, a professor at the University of Iowa’s Political Science Department, said that by and large endorsements do not mean much in the grand scheme of things.

“You can find probably one here or there that made a difference from a politician that was well liked,” Hagle said. “Probably more important in this is that Hart has some name recognition after running for the lieutenant governor slot.”

In 2018, Hart was part of Fred Hubbell’s ticket for the governor’s mansion. Hagle said that 2018 boost in statewide name recognition is an asset for her 2020 bid for Loebsack’s now open seat.

Upon Loebsack’s endorsement of Hart, Hagle saw local bloggers saying it would probably clear the field.

“That’s probably where you will see the impact,” Hagle said. “That may deter some other people from entering the race.”

This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, a messy primary could hurt Hart in the general election. On the other, a competitive primary gives her a better chance to fine tune her message in Iowa’s 2nd.

“Primaries allow the candidate to increase their name recognition and hone their message on the campaign trail before the general,” Hagle said.

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Zachary Oren Smith writes about government, growth and development for the Press-Citizen. Reach him at zsmith@press-citizen.com or 319-339-7354, and follow him on Twitter @zacharyos.