IA-Gov 2018: Branstad likely retiring

[RogueBeaver]

Unsurprisingly.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Expected.

[Lief 🗽]

oh thank god, maybe the Democrats can finally win here again now.

[Maxwell]

oh thank god.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Branstad 2026!

[Free Bird]

Sure. Branstad 2026

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

RIP porn-stache.

[Brewer]

oh thank god.

[PAK Man]

No doubt that Kim Reynolds will run when he steps aside - he's been grooming her for it ever since he took office back in 2011. Iowa's LG does absolutely nothing, but she's been the most active LG in recent memory. She travels with him everywhere and everybody in the state knows who she is. That's more than can be said about Patty Judge (Culver's LG) or Sally Pederson (Vilsack's LG, whom I once accidentally called "Sally Thompson" when discussing politics with a friend of mine. Ironically it proved my point about Iowa LGs being mainly forgettable).

[Indy Texas]

How long will the gap be between the next GOP governor and the most recent GOP governor who isn't Terry Branstad?

[Maxwell]

How long will the gap be between the next GOP governor and the most recent GOP governor who isn't Terry Branstad?

If Terry Branstad is succeeded by a Republican, then the last non-Branstad GOP Governor was Robert Ray, who was elected in 1968 and re-elected thrice in 1970, 1974, and 1978. So, yeah, a long freaking time.

1983-2019

36 years.

[MT Treasurer]

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/iowa-poll/2017/02/17/iowa-poll-gubernatorial-contenders-all-but-unknown/97912612/

[Fuzzy Bear]

The Democrats are stuck with running retreads; their base is decimated here.

I sort of think Vilsack would be the best the Democrats can do here. 

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The 2020 Senate race will be competetive and it is wise for our Dems to run a competetor against Ernst and not a retread. Iowa is important in 2020.  Dems don't have to win 2018 Gov race.  

Dems should focus on OH, VA, MI, IL, NV, NJ, FL, PA, CO, AK, NH, ME and NM Govs

Reynolds is probably the favorite here.

[Classic Conservative]

I mean he's going to be Ambassador to China...

[The Other Castro]

Branstad has been confirmed, will resign tomorrow. Kim Reynolds will become the new Governor of Iowa.

[Bojack Horseman]

Terry Branstad makes me support term limits.

[Suburbia]

I like Gov. Branstad. He should run again and again and again, but he should leave the Iowa political stage.

[Figueira]

I like Gov. Branstad. He should run again and again and again, but he should leave the Iowa political stage.

What should he run for then? President?

[The Arizonan]

Here's a little bit of trivia for today: Roxanne Conlin ran for governor back in 1982 and when she was running, she was literally laughed off stage while campaigning. She ultimately lost because of issues like using tax shelters to pay less in taxes.

[PAK Man]

Reynolds is officially sworn in as governor.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, there is quite the growing primary field. Already in are freshman State Sen. Nate Boulton (who a ton of my friends are proudly supporting), Des Moines-based businessman Fred Hubbell, Polk County Conservation Director Rich Leopold, ex-state party chair Andy McGuire (who oversaw the collapse of the state Democratic Party from 2014-2016 - most Dems in the state really don't like her - so she's the one I LEAST want to see get the nod), former Des Moines School Board President Jon Neiderbach (who badly lost the state auditor's race in 2014) and State Rep. Todd Pritchard. There's also several other Democrats seriously considering as well, including former Tom Vilsack aide John Norris.

I know most people say Democrats need to write this race off, but given how excited local Democrats are about it, I'd say it'd be foolish to write this off. Not only that, but Reynolds is really untested, and there are rumors she might face a challenger in the primary (Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is reportedly considering jumping in). Plus Republicans in the state have really soured voters after rewriting collective bargaining laws (longtime Republicans are actually saying they'll never vote Republican again, and I personally know a ton of Republican union members who are FURIOUS over this).

[Mr. Smith]

I take no return of Culver then...

[PAK Man]

Culver burned so many bridges with the unions, he'd be foolish to try again. Most Democrats in the state hate the guy.

[PAK Man]

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is in. He'll go against newly-elevated Gov. Kim Reynolds in the 2018 primary.

Personally, I don't think he comes close to it. I'm kind of baffled as to why he's going for it. It's the world's worst-kept secret that he was going to run in 2018 when Branstad (presumably) retired, but the fact he's still running with incumbent Reynolds seems kind of odd.

He's also really not all that conservative, which probably won't help him in the primary.

[_]

If Steve King chooses to run i'm going to move this race to Tilt R, just him being in the primary alone will damage the IA GOP.  Even worse is that he has a chance to win.