A crowded race for governor has pushed one Democrat out of the running. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald announced on Monday he will not seek his party’s nomination next spring. He’d have faced five other Democrats in a primary in June, and Fitzgerald says the battle for campaign funding was already getting intense. “Frankly, if I would have been in the race earlier,” Fitzgerald says, “it would have given me a leg up.” Fitzgerald says it’s disappointing to see the race come down to money, and he says campaign finance reform may be the only way to solve the problem in the future. The cost gets so high, he says, it’s just a competition of buying advertising, whereas he says just going out and talking to people and meeting with Lions and Kiwanis clubs is important. “If candidates will do that, it’ll bring about the best government.” Fitzgerald says for now he “can serve Iowa better as treasurer,” and he’s a young man and will be around quite a while. Fitzgerald says at the age of 53, he still has plenty of time to run for governor down the road. Next year he says he’ll likely seek his 7th term as treasurer.