Iowa Gov. Branstad Announces Reelection Bid for Historic 6th Term

West Des Moines, IA – Governor Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) announced Wednesday night announced that he planned to run for what would be a historic sixth term as Governor of Iowa.  “I intend to seek reelection as Governor of this great state,” Branstad stated to a packed room at the HyVee Conference Center in West Des Moines.

The brief campaign announcement that kicked off a 14-city tour surrounding the theme “Building Iowa’s Future.”  Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will visit Pella, Ottumwa, Ft. Madison, Muscatine, and Davenport today.  On Friday Branstad and Reynolds plan to visit Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Mason City.  They will wrap-up their reelection campaign tour on Saturday in Ft. Dodge, Orange City, Sioux City, and Council Bluffs.

The announcement came as no surprise to Iowa Republicans as many expected the 67-year-old Governor to run again.  His campaign has amassed quite a war chest announcing this month they have $4.1 million on hand for their campaign.  Reynolds firing up the crowd called Branstad the “hardest working Governor in America” introduced their announcement video highlighting their campaign theme “Building Iowa’s Future.”

Branstad, keeping with his Condition of the State address, focused on issues that would resonate with most Iowans and stuck with his agenda items his administration has focused on during this current term.  “We have the opportunity to build a brighter future for all Iowans: to provide more science, technology, engineering and math jobs; to reduce the tax burden; to improve the educational opportunities; to reduce the size and cost of government; and to provide our children and grandchildren with increased opportunity and greater prosperity,” Branstad said.

Iowa GOP Chair A.J. Spiker said that the Republican Party of Iowa was proud to work with Governor Branstad.  “I was pleased to hear Terry Branstad will be running for an unprecedented sixth term as Governor of Iowa. There’s no stronger candidate than a five term incumbent Governor to have at the top of our Republican ticket this November. I look forward to working with Governor Branstad, Lt. Governor Reynolds, our nominees for U.S. Senate and Congress, our candidates for statewide office  and all our Republican candidates running for State House and State Senate. Over the next 10 months the Republican Party of Iowa will be working hard to reach out to voters throughout the state and show them the Republican Party is the party offering the greatest solutions when it comes to creating jobs, lowering taxes and providing greater economic prosperity,” Spiker said.

Phil Cox, executive director of the Republican Governors Association, also issued a statement in response to Governor Branstad’s announcement.  “With more Iowans at work than ever before, the unemployment rate at a five-year low, historic investments in education and economic development, and the largest tax cut in state history, the Iowa comeback is alive and well under Governor Terry Branstad. Because of Governor Branstad’s principled, results-driven leadership, Iowa is moving in the right direction, and the Republican Governors Association strongly supports his re-election,” Cox stated.