in 1888 to 1890, he was a presidential elector in 1892, and he was elected to the Republican National Committee in 1896 to 1900. Cummins found political support in the Progressive faction of the Iowa's GOP and challenged Iowa's Republican establishment represented by Senator William B. Allison, Congressman David B. Henderson and Representative William P. Hepburn. In 1887, Cummins was elected to a single term in the Iowa State Senate representing Des Moines. He was asked to serve as temporary chair of the 1892 State Republican Convention. He unsuccessfully pursued a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1894. In 1896 he was active in the William McKinley campaign, and was appointed as Iowa's representative on the Republican National Committee. Running for U.S. Senate In 1900, Cummins was passed over twice for the U.S. Senate. In early 1900, when the Iowa General Assembly exercised its former power to choose a U.S. senator for the Class 2 seat, to serve from 1901 to 1907, Cummins was the opponent of incumbent Republican John H. Gear, but withdrew when it appeared he lacked the votes to win. After Gear suffered a fatal heart attack in July 1900, Governor Leslie M. Shaw rejected numerous appeals to appoint Cummins to the vacancy, and instead appointed Jonathan P. Dolliver. Cummins initially vowed to seek the seat again in the 1901 legislative session, but instead focused on winning the 1901 election for governor of Iowa. Governor of Iowa Cummins served as governor of Iowa between 1902 and 1908, becoming the first Iowa governor elected to three successive terms. In the third election he won tight races for the Republican nomination against George D. Perkins, editor of the Sioux City Journal, and in the general election against Democrat Claude R. Porter. While governor he led efforts to establish compulsory education, a state department of agriculture, and a system of primary elections. Cummins became identified with an approach to tariff-setting known as "the Iowa idea". The "Iowa idea", as stated in the Iowa Republican Party's 1902 platform, favored "such amendments of the Interstate Commerce Act as will more fully carry out its prohibition of discrimination in ratemaking, and [such] modifications of the tariff schedules [as] may be required to prevent their affording a shelter to monopoly." The "Iowa idea" embodied the principle that tariff rates should accurately measure the difference between the cost of production here and abroad, but not