Reservations among Iowa Senate Republicans about Ruth Harkin’s appointment to the Board of Regents almost stopped her nomination on the Senate floor Tuesday.

Harkin, wife of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, barely squeezed by the Senate to gain its approval to be seated on the Board of Regents with a tight 34-15 vote. According to Iowa Code, appointees need 34 votes to be confirmed.

Although Harkin’s nomination proved controversial, the rest of Gov. Tom Vilsack’s appointments passed the Senate with nearly unanimous support.

Tom Bedell, chairman of Pure Fishing, and Teresa Wahlert, president of Mid-America Group, were confirmed 50-0 and 49-1, respectively. Des Moines Regent Rose Vasquez was re-appointed to the Board by the Senate in March.

Michael Gartner, principal owner of the Iowa Cubs, received more opposition but was confirmed 42-7-1 in March.

“I think it’s probably the strongest team of appointments to the Board of Regents we’ve ever had,” said Sen. Michael Connolly, D-Dubuque. “That is truly a lineup of outstanding Iowans.”

Connolly, who is the co-chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said the narrow confirmation of Harkin was politically motivated.

“Some folks have difficulty in that she is a spouse of a sitting U.S. senator of the opposing party, but that’s their problem to deal with,” he said.

All of the senators who voted against Harkin’s appointment were Republican.

Senate Education Committee co-chairman Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, said he voted against Harkin because he feels she is disconnected from Iowa.

“I found her to be a bright lady, but she lives 1,000 miles away from the job,” McKinley said. “She does not have a strong Iowa connection.”

Questions were raised shortly after her appointment about whether the regents would pay for Harkin’s travel expenses to fly from Washington, where she has dual residency with her husband, to Iowa for board meetings. Board policy allows members to be reimbursed for costs incurred while attending meetings, but Harkin said she will pay the travel expenses herself.

Gregory Nichols, Board of Regents executive director, said he is pleased all of the appointees were confirmed.

“We’ve gone through a period of time where we’ve had seats that were vacant at the board table,” Nichols said. “We’re very pleased to have a full board because of all the business the regents have to do in the weeks ahead.”

Possible conflicts of interest were the main cause of the board’s vacancies. Former board president John Forsyth resigned in January because of his ties to Wellmark Inc., after its contract with the University of Iowa Hospitals came up for renegotiation.

Concerns have also been raised about how the new board membership could affect the Partnership for Transformation and Excellence, a plan intended to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the state’s three regent universities. The plan calls for $40 million in additional state funding to higher education during the next four years.

The terms begin May 1. Harkin, Bedell and Vasquez could not be reached for comment.