The legislature’s top republican has decided against running for Governor in 2002. House Speaker Brent Siegrist of Council Bluffs surprised many by announcing he would not run for Governor. Siegrist says incumbent democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s high public approval rating and million dollars in the bank had nothing to do with his decision not to run. Siegrist says republicans will be able to raise enough money to run a good campaignagainst the Governor.Siegrist says he has two young children, and doesn’t want to be away from home, campaigning for 20 months straight.Siegrist says he doesn’t want to miss his son’s t-ball games this summer. He says he’s missed just two in the last two years. He says his son keeps track of how many he misses.Siegrist says he may run for Congress, or get a job in the business world. He says his third and least likely alternative would be to run again for the Iowa House. In January, Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson of Dows said he had decided not to run for Governor. Representative Steve Sukup, a republican from Dougherty, says he is definitely running for Governor, and Senator Jeff Lamberti, a republican from Ankeny, says he’s thinking about it.
