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Republicans nominate Jeremy Davis to run for state treasurer (AUDIO)

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Jeremy Davis

A former Ames City Councilman is now the Republican challenging long-time State Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald, a Democrat. Jeremy Davis was nominated this past weekend by delegates at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention.

“When I was first contacted by Governor Reynolds to consider this, I didn’t say, ‘Yes,’ right away because I needed to think about it,” Davis said Saturday. “…I talked to friends, but more importantly, I listened to my family and I listened to my heart and I listened to God.”

AUDIO of Davis’ nomination and speech, 5:00

Davis, who grew up on a Jones County farm, worked in Congressman Steve King’s Ames office and is now director of grassroots programs for the National Pork Producers Council. Davis has run for office twice before — an unsuccessful bid for the state senate in 2014 and, in 2009, when he won a term on the Ames City Council.

“I believe one of the most important things about being state treasurer is that we need to have 100 percent transparency when it comes to our financial operations of government,” Davis said. “I believe that it is inappropriate that the current state treasurer has utilized public funds to promote programs that he administers leading up to an election.”

Fitzgerald’s office has paid to advertise the “College Savings Iowa” program and the “Great Iowa Treasure Hunt” which seeks to connect Iowans with unclaimed property. A spokesman for Fitzgerald’s campaign says no tax dollars have been used in the advertising, because both are “self-sustaining programs.”

Fitzgerald briefly spoke to delegates at the Democratic Party’s state convention last weekend.

“Dmeocrats need to assert themselves and Iowans know it because the Republicans have been so irresponsible at all levels,” Fitzgerald said. “You know, the state budget — it’s a mess. It’s a real disaster.”

AUDIO of Fitzgerald’s speech, 3:00

Fitzgerald, who is seeking a 10th term as state treasurer, said Republican control of the statehouse has had “terrible consequences.”

Tom Miller, a Democrat who has served as the state’s attorney general for 35-and-a-half years, is also seeking reelection, but will not face a Republican opponent this fall. Libertarians nominated Marco Battaglia of Des Moines to run for attorney general. Battaglia unsuccessfully ran for governor on the Libertarian ticket on June 6th.

Congressman King, challenger Scholten focus on trade concerns (AUDIO)

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Congressman Steve King is urging his fellow Republicans who are “apprehensive” about President Trump’s trade talk to give Trump “time and room” to make some deals.

“I’ve been asking for years for a president who would play brinksmanship who was also an enigma,” King said Saturday. “It’s really a powerful position to have when you’re doing foreign trade and negotiations and geopolitical maneuvers of all kinds. Well, we elected Donald Trump and I think we got both of those things.”

King made his comments this weekend at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention.

AUDIO of King’s speech, 6:44

King predicted there will be a “red tsunami” this November. King also spoke up for the nation’s embattled attorney general who’s drawn Trump’s ire at time and who has defended the policy separating children from parents entering the country illegally at the border.

“I’m a supporter of Jeff Sessons. He’s a noble man,” King said. “He believes in the Bible and the Constitution and in the rule of law.”

King’s Democratic opponent, J.C. Scholten of Sioux City, rallied with delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention this weekend.

“Who’s ready to beat Steve King?” Scholten asked, getting a big cheer from the Democratic delegates. “Now my second question: ‘Who thinks this race is unwinnable?’ Because that’s what I’ve been told every day since I launched my campaign back in July and I’m sick of it. I’ve modeled my campaign after two of my political heroes: Tom Harkin and Berkely Bedell.”

Harkin and Bedell — both Democrats — are former congressmen who represented many of counties included in Iowa’s current fourth congressional district. Scholten suggested there’s a reason King recently re-tweeted the views of a neo-Nazi.

“He doesn’t have an answer to farmers who have been struggling for four consecutive years on low commodity prices at a time, now, with tariffs to add on top of that,” Scholten said. “…But this is race is not about the crap that comes out of his mouth. It’s about what we can do.”

AUDIO of Scholten’s speech, 3:35

 

New Hubbell-Hart ticket visits Hart’s home territory

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Fred Hubbell, the Democratic candidate for governor, and Rita Hart, his running mate, went to Clinton today to meet with Hart’s hometown supporters. Hart, a farmer from nearby Wheatland, told the crowd it was a difficult decision to join the Hubbell campaign and end her bid for reelection to the state senate representing Clinton County and parts of neighboring Scott County.

“It has been such a pleasure to serve you guys, to work with you and for you for six years,” Hart said. “I look at each one of your faces and I see a memory there.”

Today’s campaign event was originally scheduled inside Clinton County Democratic Party Headquarters, but moved outdoors to a park across the street because of the overflow crowd. Hubbell promised the audience Governor Kim Reynolds has pursued a “shortsighted and destructive agenda” that he and Hart will reverse. Hart said she and Hubbell are pursing a “put people first” agenda.

“You are the people we need to fight for and with,” Hart said, “and that’s what we’re going to do as we continue on this great journey.”

Democrats from Clinton and Scott Counties will meet soon to select someone else to run for Hart’s state senate seat, but no date has been set yet for the district nominating convention.

(Reporting by Dave Vickers, KROS, Clinton)

Young, Axne speak to grassroots party activists (AUDIO)

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Republican Congressman David Young says America is “leading the way” again, internationally, now that President Trump is in office.

“Getting out of the Iran agreement, sitting down at the table with the leader of North Korea, moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in Israel — some incredible things are happening right now,” Young said during a speech at the Iowa GOP’s state convention on Saturday. “We need to keep the momentum going. The last eight years, it takes a while to dig out of that. That status quo was not working.”

AUDIO of Young’s speech, 6:00

Cindy Axne of West Des Moines, Young’s Democratic challenger in the third congressional district, addressed delegates at her party’s state convention on Saturday as well.

“When I’m out talking with people across this district, Iowans are working incredibly hard and they’re playing by the rules, but one thing is for sure: Washington doesn’t have our back and we deserve better,” Axne said.

AUDIO of Axne’s speech, 4:00

The Cook Political Report — an agency that analyzes federal political candidates and races — classifies Iowa’s third congressional district as “leaning Republican” heading into November. The district covers 16 southwest Iowa counties and includes the cities of Des Moines and Council Bluffs.

Blum, Finkenauer outline General Election pitches (AUDIO)

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The candidates facing off in Iowa’s first congressional district made their pitches to grassroots activists at their state party conventions this weekend.

“My friends, I’m the number one target of the Democrats in the nation. I’m the number one target of Nancy Pelosi’s. And I was two years ago as well, but we’re still here, right?,” Republican Congressman Rod Blum of Dubuque asked Saturday, getting cheers from Iowa GOP delegates in Des Moines.

AUDIO of Blum’s speech, 8:30

Challenger Abby Finkenauer of Dubuque spoke across town to Democratic Party delegates.

“It is the honor of my life to be the Democratic nominee..and send Rod Blum home packing,” Finkenauer said, getting interrupted by cheers from Democratic delegates before she continued, “and make sure we bring some common sense and decency back to Washington, D.C. in November.”

AUDIO of Finkenauer’s speech, 4:40

The first congressional district covers 20 counties in the northeast quadrant of the state. It has a slight voter registration edge for Democrats compared to Republicans, but independents are the largest block of voters. The race is a battle to win over the independents who voted for President Obama in 2012 and President Trump in 2016, as both men won the district by a comfortable margin.

Finkenauer made a pitch to independents during her Saturday speech.

“Talking to folks in rural Iowa and our cities, what I realized really quickly was that 2018 wasn’t going to come down to whether you were a Democrat or a Republican, it was going to come down to our values and who are we as a state and as a country,” Finkenauer said.

Blum told his fellow Republicans that Democrats are trying to “demoralize” Republican voters so they won’t show up at the polls in November.

“The Democrat Party, aided and abetted by a biased media…they want you to believe that our president…is very unpopular. Not true,” Blum said. “…They want us to believe this economy is good because of former President Obama’s policies. LOL. Are you kidding me?”

Congressman Blum, a businessman seeking a third term in the U.S. House, beat the former speaker of the Iowa House in 2014 and a Cedar Rapids city councilwoman in 2016 to retain his seat. Finkenauer has been a state legislator since January of 2015 and would be the youngest women ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives if she prevails in November.

 

Saturday’s party conventions are history, General Election is 141 days away (AUDIO)

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Republicans at their convention.

Democrats and Republicans gathered Saturday in Des Moines for state conventions that in many ways served as the starting bells for the General Election.

Republicans on the state fairgrounds were equipped with thunder sticks. Democrats in Hy-Vee Hall were ready for their pep rally, too. The two candidates for governor took the stages at their party conventions at the same time.

“It’s too bad that Governor Reynolds couldn’t be here to see what she’s going to be up against all the way until November,” Hubbell said, to cheers from his fellow Democrats.

AUDIO of Hubbell’s speech, 12:30

Across town, Reynolds rallied with her fellow Republicans.

“He believes in him and the government and we believe in you, the people,” Reynolds said.

AUDIO of Reynolds’ speech, 14:15

Reynolds repeated her rap on Hubbell’s wealth.

“If you think that the governor’s office is for sale to the highest bidder, then you don’t know Iowans,” Reynolds said, to cheers from her fellow Republicans.

Hubbell told Democrats he was ready to “fight back.”

“She’s only going low because she cannot defend her record,” Hubbell said, to applause.

Over at the GOP convention, Reynolds got some rhetorical back-up from Republican Senator Joni Ernst.

“Fancy Fred Hubbell…will be a governor for union bosses, for the far-left liberals and the far left environmental zealots,” Ernst said.

AUDIO of Ernst’s speech, 13:00

Hubbell’s newly nominated running mate Rita Hart spoke to Democratic delegates and offered the counter argument.

“Governor Reynolds and the Republicans are leading our state in a disastrous direction,” Hart said. “We need a proven leader like Fred to fix our budget disaster and to restore investments in the right priorities.”

AUDIO of Hart’s speech, 9:00

Hubbell, Hart and the Democrats at their convention.

Hubbell sounded the same theme during his convention speech, accusing Reynolds of having “misguided priorities and an extreme agenda.”

“She dismantling everything that make our state a great place and then earlier this week she said I’m running to dismantle everything she’s doing — and she’s right,” Hubbell said to cheers from Democratic Party delegates.

Reynolds, meanwhile, drew cheers from GOP delegates as she listed bills signed into law over the past two years as Republicans controlled the statehouse agenda.

“We are delivering on what we promised Iowans we would do,” Reynolds said.

These are the likely campaign themes Iowans will hear repeated between now and the General Election. November 6th is 141 days away.

After four rounds of voting, Naig secures GOP nomination for ag secretary (AUDIO)

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Mike Naig talks to delegates.

The one statewide contest that was unresolved by the June 6th Primary ended today. Delegates at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention nominated Mike Naig as their candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture.

“Now, if I’m elected secretary I will make this promise to you: I will continue to work with all of my effort to build a brighter future. I will bring a conservative voice, common sense and leadership to the department on your behalf every day,” Naig said during a three-minute speech to delegates early this afternoon.

Naig was the top deputy in the agency until March. Ag Secretary Bill Northey left for a job in Washington and the governor appointed Naig to take Northey’s place. Naig fell just short of the 35 percent support he needed to win the GOP’s nomination from the primary results. Congressman Steve King signaled to delegates that Naig had the backing of the party establishment and King reminded delegates Naig got more votes than his competitors in the primary.

“He’s Bill Northey choice. He was appointed by Governor Reynolds,” said King, who faced a similar nominating process during his first run for congress in 2002. “He has their support, my support, but more importantly, he won the election and he is the choice of ‘We, the People.'”

Three of Naig’s competitors called on the GOP to nominate an active farmer rather than an administrator like Naig. After three rounds of voting, the contest was down to Naig and Ray Gaesser of Corning.

“I’m a full-time, life-long farmer with my hands in the soil,” Gaesser said in his three-minute speech to delegates.

On the final ballot, Gaesser got nearly 46 percent of the delegates’ votes compared to Naig, who got a total of 54 percent — the only round Naig crossed the required 50 percent threshold to secure the nomination from GOP delegates.

“Now the job is before us. We know what we need to do,” Naig said. “It’ll be a competitive race looking ahead to November.”

Naig will face Democrat Tim Gannon, a former aide to Tom Vilsack in the governor’s office and in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gannon, who did not face primary opposition on June 6, addressing delegates at his party’s state convention today.

“The hay is not in the barn yet, so we have to do all we can over the next five months,” Gannon said.

AUDIO from Iowa GOP’s state convention of nominating speeches and the speeches delivered by Mike Naig, Ray Gaesser, Dan Zumbach, Craig Lang and Chad Ingels, 26:00

AUDIO from Iowa GOP’s state convention of voting results, candidates endorsing those remaining in the contest and, finally, Naig’s acceptance speech, 12:00

AUDIO from Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention of Gannon’s speech, 4:30

 

Hubbell chooses state senator, farmer, former teacher Hart as running mate

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Rita Hart

The Democratic ticket for governor and lieutenant governor is Hubbell-Hart. Fred Hubbell, the Democratic nominee for governor, has chosen state Senator Rita Hart as his running mate.

“I decided this is a challenge that is really important,” Hart told Radio Iowa. “It’s important for the state of Iowa and I needed to step up and answer the call.”

Hart is a farmer and former teacher from the small eastern Iowa town of Wheatland. Delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party state convention are expected to ratify Hubbell’s pick for his lieutenant governor running mate later today.

“My background as a teacher, as a farmer, as a mother, as a volunteer gives me the experiences and the background that will benefit me in this position,” Hart said. “My experience as a legislator has given me some background there that will be helpful and I think my interest in a lot of issues that are important to the people of the state of Iowa will always help me to do a good job on their behalf.”

Hubbell, Hart and the Democrats at their convention.

Hart and her husband have been operating his family’s century farm near Wheatland since 1986. They are the parents of five children. Hart, who is 62 years old, taught school for more than 20 years in the Calamus-Wheatland and Bennett school districts. She’s been a state senator since January of 2013, representing all of Clinton County as well as northern and eastern parts of Scott County. Hart’s 2018 bid for reelection to the state senate has ended as she emerges at the Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor.

“We’re ready to get started and roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Hart said.

She pledged to “fight tooth and nail” alongside Hubbell in the top-of-the-ticket race.

“And when I believe in something, I’m all in,” Hart said.

Hart grew up near Charles City. She holds an associates degree from North Iowa Area Community College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa and a masters from the University of Iowa.

Lieutenant governors in Iowa were independently elected until 1990. That’s the year a constitutional change took effect and party nominees for governor began choosing a lieutenant governor as a running mate, in the same way the president and vice president run together as a team. In the past seven gubernatorial elections, Republicans and Democrats have presented voters with “gender balanced” tickets.

Iowa Republican Party state convention delegates will formally nominate Adam Gregg as Governor Kim Reynolds’ running mate later today as well.

(Hart photo from Hubbell/Hart Campaign)

Iowa Democrats, Republicans to hold state conventions Saturday

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Democrats and Republicans will hold their state conventions in Des Moines tomorrow.

Democrats will gather in downtown Des Moines and Fred Hubbell — the party’s nominee for governor –will reveal who he’s chosen as a running mate.

“Of course, our focus as been on the primary. We had to win the primary before we had the opportunity to choose a lieutenant governor,” Hubbell said last Friday on Iowa Public Television, “and we will choose a very talented, capable person to be our lieutenant governor.”

Speculation has centered on a few names, including two women who are state senators. Since 1990, every Democrat and Republican nominated to run for governor has opted for “gender balance” at the top of the ticket. Hubbell said he’s had one major consideration.

“Pick a person who is very talented, very experienced,” Hubbell said on IPTV last Friday, “and, if something were to happen to me as governor, could step in and do a great job.”

Republicans are holding their state convention across town, on the state fairgrounds. The GOP delegates will formally nominate Adam Gregg as their party’s lieutenant governor candidate. Governor Kim Reynolds announced he’d be her running mate and governing partner in May of last year, the day after she took over from departing Governor Terry Branstad.

An amendment to Iowa’s Constitution changed the process of electing lieutenant governors in 1990. Below is the list of Democrats and Republicans who’ve run together as a team since then.

1990:

Republican gubernatorial nominee Terry Branstad, the incumbent and eventual winner in 1990, chose state Senator Joy Corning of Cedar Falls, as his running mate. This was the first election in which the new state constitutional amendment took effect, so candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in Iowa ran as a team — just as the president and vice president do.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Don Avenson chose Jo Ann Zimmerman as his running mate. Zimmerman, the first woman elected as lieutenant governor, was also the state’s last independently elected lieutenant governor. Zimmerman, a nurse from Waukee, ended her campaign for governor before the primary and became half of the “A to Z” ticket.

1994:

Republican Terry Branstad successfully ran for a fourth term as governor and Joy Corning was again his running mate.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bonnie Campbell chose Leonard Boswell, a military veteran and state senator from Davis City, as her running mate. Boswell ran for congress in 1996 and served in the U.S. House until  January of 2013.

1998:

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tom Vilsack and the winner of the 1998 election chose Sally Pederson as his running mate. Pederson, a Vinton native, was the former food editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, a former Meredith Corporation executive and she was active in civic organizations in the Des Moines area. Pederson later served as chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Ross Lightfoot chose Almo Hawkins of Des Moines as his running mate and she became the first African American nominated by a major party for statewide office when delegates at the 1998 state convention ratified Lightfoot’s choice. Hawkins, a former reporter for KCCI television in Des Moines, had worked in state government.

2002:

Democrat Tom Vilsack successfully ran for reelection and Sally Pederson was again his lieutenant governor running mate.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Gross chose Debi Durham of Sioux City as his running mate. Durham was the head of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. She is currently head of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, a position she’s held since January of 2011.

2006:

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chet Culver and the winner of the 2006 election chose Patty Judge as his running mate. Judge, a former state senator from Albia who had served two terms as Iowa’s first female secretary of agriculture, ended her own campaign for governor before the primary to become Culver’s running mate.

Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Nussle chose Bob Vander Plaats as his running mate. Vander Plaats had run unsuccessfully for governor in 2002 and was running again in 2006, but ended his own campaign to become Nussle’s lieutenant governor running mate. (Vander Plaats ran a third time for governor in 2010, losing to Terry Branstad. See more below.) Vander Plaats is now president and CEO of The Family Leader.

2010:

Republican Terry Branstad successfully ran for a fifth term as governor, selecting state Senator Kim Reynolds of Osceola as his running mate. Reynolds had competition for the slot on the ticket at the GOP’s state convention that year, though. Bob Vander Plaats, who finished second to Branstad in the primary, was nominated at the convention by state Representative Dwayne Alons of Hull to be Branstad’s running mate. Congressman Steve King nominated Reynolds. Reynolds won the most votes from delegates, securing the lieutenant governor slot on the GOP’s 2010 ticket.

Democratic Governor Chet Culver and Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge sought reelection in 2010.

2014:

Republican Terry Branstad won a sixth term as governor with Kim Reynolds as his lieutenant governor running mate.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Hatch chose Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman Monica Vernon as his running mate. Vernon had just finished second in the Democratic Party’s primary in the first congressional district. Hatch announced Vernon as his pick a few days after the primary, before the state convention, at a union hall in Cedar Rapids.

 

 

 

 

Iowa Medicaid director says ‘there are savings’ from privatization

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The director of Iowa’s Medicaid program says the state will save about $140 million in the current year because patient care is being managed by private companies, but Mike Randol is not explaining why that estimate has tripled since he became Medicaid director in January.

“I think it’s important to understand that regardless of the methodology, that there are savings,” Randol said.

Randol made his comments today in a verbal report to the state board appointed by the governor to oversee the agency. Randol quickly left the room and did not speak with reporters seeking details about how his savings estimate was developed.

Senator Pam Jochum, a Democrat from Dubuque, said Randol didn’t address how patients and health care providers have been affected by Medicaid privatization either.

“The director’s analysis or presentation to the council was incomplete and I really question the accuracy of the numbers that he provided,” Jochum said.

Last week, Republican State Auditor Mary Mosiman announced she will review the agency’s calculations. Fred Hubbell, the Democratic candidate for governor, said in a statement on Twitter that the lack of transparency about the finances of the state-run Medicaid program is “baffling and completely unacceptable.”

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katarina Sostaric; additional reporting by Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson)