The State of Iowa is the site of several hotly contested races in tomorrow’s general election, and one race that has been firmly in the national crosshairs has been for governor.
Incumbent Republican Governor Kim Reynolds is in a tight race with Democrat Fred Hubbell and Libertarian Jake Porter, and with the election looming each is ramping up their presence throughout the state. Reynolds and Hubbell were both recently in Perry for meet and greet events, and each talked with Raccoon Valley Radio to appeal to the voters in our listening area.
Reynolds was the Lieutenant Governor under Terry Branstad, and when the latter became the U.S. Ambassador to China, the former inherited the office. She’s now running with Adam Gregg to earn the governor position for herself, and believes Iowans can see the progress made in the state the last two years under her leadership. Reynolds questions the direction the state would go under her opponents. “Do we keep building on the success that we’ve seen? Or do we let Fred Hubbell take us back to the (Governor Chet) Culver days, when we were seeing a 10% across the board cut? When we were seeing massive spending, massive debt, unemployment was high. I don’t believe that’s where Iowans want to go, I believe they’re feeling good about the direction of the state. And we’re going to continue to get out there and make the case!”
Hubbell is a retired businessman from Des Moines, and he won the crowded race for the Democratic nomination in the June primary election by a large margin. He and his running mate, Iowa Senator Rita Hart, have bemoaned the tax plan and Medicaid privatization approved by Reynolds, as well as a lack of spending on education and mental health. When in Perry, Hubbell explained why people should choose him for governor. “I have a lot of experience in the private sector, the public sector, and the nonprofit world all across our state, working in rural Iowa and in urban Iowa. I want to be the governor for all Iowans. I don’t have any special interests, other than the interests of every single person in this state. We need stop cutting all the investments that go directly to support the future opportunities for our people, and instead start making those investments by putting people first.”
Porter, who hails from Council Bluffs, is the youngest of the three major party candidates, and has a background in business and marketing. He won the first ever Libertarian gubernatorial primary in June, and selected Lynne Gentry as his running mate. Election Day is tomorrow, with the polls open from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. If you’re unsure of where your precinct and polling location are, click the link below.
https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/pollingplace/search.aspx