Governor Chet Culver’s wife says her primary goal as first lady has been met and she’s ready to move.
In an interview the day after the election, Chet Culver said he was looking forward to exciting new opportunities, but that was as far as he’d speculate about his job search.
Mari Culver is an attorney, but she hasn’t practiced law for the past two years. She’s dedicated some of her time to speaking out on behalf of shelters for the homeless and for those trying to escape domestic abuse. On Monday, she was in the kitchen of a Des Moines shelter for homeless teenagers, touting the program that’s run by Brad Whipple.
“If they’re interested in donating to homeless youth centers, they can get on the website,” Mari Culver told reporters, gesturing to Whipple, who quickly responded to the prompt: “You can get on our website at www.iowahomlessyouth.org.”
One of the reporters asked Whipple if he might hire Culver, and Culver laughed, adding: “I’m looking for work, Brad.”
Culver said she’s got “a job to go back to” — working at a Des Moines law firm — but she adds the word “maybe” to that declaration. It’s an indication, perhaps, that her husband’s job search stretches beyond the borders of Iowa.
Mari Culver told reporters this is her wish for her husband’s future: “That he will continue to make significant contributions in a public way, whether he does that from the public or the private sector, but that he will continue to contribute to the state and to the community.”
Culver said she had a goal for her family four years ago when her husband started his term as governor. “We went into this four happy, healthy people and I wanted to come out this four happy, healthy people and we’ve achieved that,” she said. “So that’s what’s important to me.”
The two Culver children are excited to leave the governor’s mansion behind according to their mother.
“We went on a family vacation immediately after the election, so that was great. It is exciting because we’ll be back at our house full-time where we’ve lived kind of part-time the last four years and they’ll see more of their dad. He’s going to coach their sports leagues which he hasn’t been able to do and get to more of their games, so it is exciting for them,” Mari Culver said. “They appreciated the front seat that they had to a remarkable four years and the opportunities and the places they went, meeting people like the president, but they’ll be particularly glad to have their dad back full-time, too.”
Chet and Mari Culver have been married 14 years. Clare Culver is 10. John Culver is nine.
(This story was updated at 5 a.m.)